ITALY IS WITHOUT A ENERGY POLICY AFTER LAST LEGISLATIVE ELECTION

The country is without a government due to the lack of a majority in the parliament, in a moment while Italy is going to be involved in Russia's and EU energy projects. The categorically different approach in the matter of the three main political forces makes also difficult to solve the impasse in a few time.
MILAN - Politically divided and still without a clear energy policy. Last 02/24-25 Italian legislative election's result did not ensure in the parliament a political majority which is strong enough to support a new government.
A complicated electoral law has guaranteed the majority of seats in the Lower House to the centre-left coalition led by Pierluigi Bersani: a former Minister of the Economical Development and leader of the Democratic Party, the centre-left coalition's main political force.
At the same time, the electoral law - renamed the 'pig law'- has given the majority of seats in the Senate to Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing coalition, which obtained its best score in the most important Regions of the country (Lombardy, Sicily and Veneto).
The ungovernability is due also by the good result of the Five Stars Movement. This populist political force, led by comedian Beppe Grillo, is the most voted single list in the Lower House, and has obtained the third place in the Senate.
As the Five Stars Movement has no intention to take part in any majority in the Parliament, just a 'Big Coalition' of the centre-left and the right wing forces can create a government. Anyway, nor Bersani neither Berlusconi aim to accept this solution.
The absence of a majority in the parliament lets Italy not only without a government, but also without a gas policy in an extremely important period for the country from the energy point of view.
On May 2013, Shah-Deniz gas field's consortium could decide to deliver Azerbaijani gas to Italy via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline -TAP: a project planed to carry 21 bcm of gas per year to the Apulia Region from Greece via Albania.
TAP is a part of the EU Southern Corridor: a pipeline building's project planed by the European Commission in order to diversify Europe's gas supplies by carrying gas directly from Azerbaijan.
In addition to TAP, Italy is also involved in the Southstream project: a pipeline planed by Russia to carry 63 bcm of Russian gas per year to Austria from Russia via the Black Sea seabed, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia and Italy.
Southstream pipeline's realization increases EU energy dependence on Russia's gas supplies, which covers right now the 40% of the EU total energy need. Southstream pipeline also blocks the EU Southern Corridor's realization, and avoids Italy the possibility to import gas from Azerbaijan.
Italy's energy situation has worsened due to the political crisis in Northern Africa. Military battles among local clans already once since the 2011 so called 'Arab Awakening' has provoked an interruption of gas supplies from Algeria -which covers the 35% of Italy national gas import- and twice from Libya, whose gas allows Italy to cover the 10% of the national energy need.
Three political forces - three positions about energy
A common energy policy in Italy is not possible also because of the categorically different opinions in the matter expressed by the three main political forces.
Centre-left coalition's leader Bersani endorses a national energy market's liberalization by continuing those reforms he already provided in 2006, when he has worked as the Minister of the Economic Development in centre-left Romano Prodi's government.
The liberalization of Italian energy market could mean Snam Rete Gas monopoly's end. The company has been separated from national energy Concern ENI in 2009, in order to realize the Third Energy Package: a EU law which obliges all EU member states to split the Gas Transportation System managing's sector (controlled by now by Snam Rete Gas) from the gas trade one (which in Italy is still controlled by ENI).
Bersani energy liberalization's program could also decrease second Italian energy company Enel's role. Actually, Enel is the national leader in the electrical power's distribution.
Berlusconi right wing coalition's position in energy deals is quite different from Bersani's one. During his past governments (Berlusconi already trice has been appointed as the PM: from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2006, and from 2008 to 2011) the right wing coalition's leader has strengthened ENI's international position by giving his government's political support to several contracts signed with Russian national gas major Gazprom.
Thanks to Berlusconi's endorsement, ENI took part in 2005 in Bluestream pipeline's realization from Russia to Turkey. In 2009, ENI became Gazprom's main partner in the Southstream: a decision strictly lied always with the personal friendship between Berlusconi and Russian PM -now President- Vladimir Putin.
Berlusconi has also criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel's predominance in the EU, and has described his tight personal relationship with Russian President Putin as a fundamental element for the fostering of Italy's foreign and energy policy during the electoral campaign.
The Five Stars Movement too has strongly criticized the EU. Comedian Grillo promises Italy's exit from the Eurozone, and supports ENI and Enel total abolition.
Moreover, the Five Stars Movement's leader endorses a gas and coal import's drastic decrease. At the same time, Grillo supports the raise of the use of renewable and 'clean' sources of energy.
The lack of a government helps Russia's Southstream
The extremely different energy proposals advanced by the most important political forces, which will be the most voted lists also in case of a new election, do not avoid Italy to change its national energy policy in a few time.
Moreover, the lack of a majority in the parliament also allows the national concern ENI to lead Italy's energetic policy alone. Indeed, just a political government elected by the Italian People can modify the concern's 'private' interest by imposing a different strategy from the one which has been pursued by ENI till now.
ENI could so implement Southstream pipeline's realization, which has already been started by Gazprom on December 2012, and weakening at the same time the possibility to carry Azerbaijani gas directly to Italy by TAP project.
By now, Russia did not sent yet any official proposal about Southstream itinerary in Italy, but it's probable that Moscow could soon start with ENI and Italian temporary political Authorities a negotiate about the pipeline's building in the country.
Some options could nevertheless strengthen TAP realization
A change in Italy's energy policy is possible just if Italian President Giorgio Napolitano will appoint Senator Mario Monti as the PM once again.
Monti replaced Berlusconi in 2011 as the head of a technician government, which has been supported by a large majority in the parliament in order to save the international reputation of the country in a period of deep economic crisis.
A new government led by Monti, who could stay in charge just for a limited time, could however strengthen the role of Italy in the realization of the EU Southern Corridor.
In September 2012, the Minister of the Energy Development in Monti's Government Corrado Passera signed international agreements in support of TAP with Greek and Albania's political Authorities.
Monti -the leader of a 10% voted centrist coalition (which has been politically supported by German Chancellor Merkel in last legislative election)-is a former EU Commissioner, and well knows the importance of EU common policies.
Just Bersani (who has obtained the political support by French President Francois Hollande and by the Speaker of the European Parliament Martin Schulz) and Monti are the two coalition's leader who has strongly supported the necessity to foster Italy's participation in EU policy, both from the economical and from the political point of view.
Matteo Cazzulani