Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday cautioned that the European Union’s green policies, if applied too rigidly, could damage Europe’s industrial base, particularly its automotive sector, and called for a more pragmatic approach to climate goals.
Speaking in Rome following talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Meloni said the EU’s transition strategy should prioritize economic and social stability alongside environmental objectives. “I have often said that in a desert there is nothing green,” Meloni told reporters. “Before anything else, we must fight the desertification of European industry.”
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Meloni argued that Europe’s focus on electrification, especially in transport, risks increasing dependence on supply chains controlled by non-European countries, creating what she described as a strategic vulnerability. “I continue to believe it is counterproductive to focus solely on the electric transition, where the supply chains are not controlled by Europe, but by other actors,” she said.
The Italian leader called for greater emphasis on alternative fuels such as biofuels and hydrogen and urged the European Commission to revise core components of its Green Deal, including emissions calculations that currently focus only on tailpipe output.
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Earlier this month, the European Parliament approved a proposal to ease emissions targets for carmakers, allowing them to average their CO2 emissions over 2025–2027, instead of facing annual fines. The move followed lobbying from automakers concerned about high compliance costs.
Meloni also highlighted the need for stronger collaboration between Italy and Germany, two of the EU’s largest manufacturing economies. “The automotive sector is one area where bilateral cooperation could make a decisive impact,” she said.
Source: Reuters