Right-wing leader in Italy slams Europe on energy policy

By COLLEEN BARRY
AP Business Writer

MILAN (AP) — Italian right-wing leader Matteo Salvini has criticized the European Union for not working together on a common response to the energy crisis but instead “protecting their own interests.” Speaking at a Milan demonstration by farmers protesting the impact of high energy prices, Salvini said the EU “has been very much everyone for himself.” Italy has spent some 60 billion euros since last year to ease the pain of higher energy prices. But the outgoing government of Premier Mario Draghi has refused to borrow more money for a deeper aid package. Italy instead has pressed for a European price cap on Russian natural gas but the rest of the EU’s been unwilling so far to go along.