In the last session before the summer break, the Council of Ministers approved the extension of the excise duty cut on diesel, guaranteeing a discount of 17 cents per liter (14 cents excise duty and 3 cents VAT) until 25 August. The measure, defined after a summit between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Deputy Prime Ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini and the Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti, avoids the original deadline of 6 August to protect consumers at the start of the holiday exodus.
The provision requires coverage of approximately 245 million euros, raised through the mobile excise duty mechanism and remodulations of ministerial expenses. The decision, however, confirmed the exclusion of petrol, triggering immediate protests from the opposition: Francesco Boccia for the Democratic Party accused the executive of living hand to mouth, while Chiara Appendino for the 5 Star Movement criticized the lack of response for those traveling on petrol. On the economic front, the proposal put forward by Matteo Salvini to finance further relief by withdrawing resources from banking and energy extra profits did not find application in the final text.
School: Minister Giuseppe Valditara’s plan for hiring
In parallel with the intervention on fuels, the executive gave the green light to the package of placements in schools for the 2026/2027 school year. The operation illustrated by the Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara unlocks the stabilization of 46,642 teachers, among which stands out a quota of 10,810 support teachers destined to guarantee educational continuity for disabled students. The decree also authorizes the entry of 346 school managers, 12,284 ATA staff units, 2,628 Catholic religion teachers and 79 educators, laying the foundations for the start of the new school year.
Technological safety and interventions for the Campi Flegrei
The executive summit also dedicated space to specific measures regarding urban security and management of territorial emergencies. Among the approved measures is the introduction of new guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence applied to facial recognition systems, a tool intended to strengthen public security controls while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.
In the field of civil protection, the government meeting allocated extraordinary financial resources of 100 million euros to the population affected by the recent seismic phenomena in the Campi Flegrei area, ensuring first aid contributions and temporary housing solutions for families forced to abandon their homes.
