Trucker Blockades in Southern Italy Ramp Up Pressure on Meloni
Trucker Blockades in Southern Italy Ramp Up Pressure on Meloni
Truck drivers have blockaded highways, ports and fuel depots across southern Italy since October 16, protesting soaring diesel prices. The protests spread from Puglia and Calabria to Sicily, Campania and Basilicata, emptying supermarket shelves and straining fuel supplies, and putting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government under heavy pressure.
Meloni Condemns Blockades as Cabinet Approves Aid
Diesel Prices Surge by a Third, Truckers Squeezed
Empty Shelves and Dry Tanks Hit the South
Federdistribuzione said hundreds of supermarkets and dozens of distribution centres were hit, with fresh fruit, meat and fish running out within days and some shops left completely empty. Wanted in Rome reported that four in ten southern firms faced supply problems and some restaurants closed; the airports of Crotone and Reggio Calabria ran out of aircraft fuel; buffalo mozzarella production halted with an estimated €3 million loss in 24 hours; and kiwi fruit losses reached about €30 million over five days. Confcommercio Sicilia estimated €40-50 million in losses for large-scale retail and the fresh produce chain on the island.
Some Blockades Lift, Others Hold
Truckers in Sicily and Calabria suspended their protests after the aid announcement, but non-association protesters in Campania and Puglia kept blockades in place. The government promised aid covering about 121 million litres of fuel at up to 45 cents per litre, plus support for the fishing sector where vessels remained docked. Whether the measures calm the unrest depends on how quickly funds arrive and where diesel prices go next.
