ROME: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned on Saturday that rigid green policies could devastate Europe’s industrial base, and called for a more cautious approach to the ecological transition that protects economic and social stability.

Speaking after meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Meloni said the European Union’s push towards electrification, particularly in the automotive sector, risked undermining the continents manufacturing strength.

“I have often said that in a desert there is nothing green,” Meloni told reporters in Rome. “Before anything else, we must fight the desertification of European industry.”

She said that alternative fuels such as biofuels and hydrogen must play a central role in Europe’s green strategy.

Meloni criticised the EU’s past regulatory approach as too inflexible, saying it had “crushed” sectors like the automotive industry. She also expressed concern that Europe was depending on electric vehicle supply chains dominated by non-European countries, calling this 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.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2025