We'll support efforts against energy speculation - Meloni

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 4 - The next Italian government will be staunchly behind efforts at the EU level to stop speculation on energy prices, Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday.
    "The energy crisis is a European issue and it should be addressed as such," Meloni, who looks set to become Italy's first woman premier after FdI spearheaded the right coalition to victory in last month's general election, said via Facebook.
    "FdI and the (European) Conservatives say that the real job of the EU should be to manage the major continental challenges that are difficult to address for individual member States.
    "Actions of individual States that seek to exploit the strong points of those countries risk interfering with businesses competitiveness and creating distortions in the European single market," she added, apparently referring to Germany's 200-billion-euro shield to soften the impact of higher energy prices there.
    "We'll support any action aimed at combatting speculation and unjustified increases in the cost of energy and we will support common initiatives of concrete help for families and firms".
    (ANSA).