Truckers are blocking roads over diesel prices as Rome warns participants could face prosecution.
Why it matters: The protests are disrupting fuel and goods deliveries across southern Italy, adding pressure to logistics costs and supply chains. The government is combining enforcement warnings with targeted support for hauliers, farmers and fishers.
- Diesel cost about €2.257 per litre on ordinary roads and €2.296 on motorways on October 17.
- The Interior Ministry said 1,339 people had been identified and 71 reported to authorities by October 22.
- The protests affected Calabria, Puglia, Campania, Basilicata, Molise and Sicily.
- The government announced €105.2 million in measures: €45.2 million in diesel tax credits and €60 million for a later spending period.
Italian truck drivers have blocked roads, motorway access points and refinery-related routes across six southern regions: Calabria, Puglia, Campania, Basilicata, Molise and Sicily. The protests followed soaring diesel prices, which stood at about €2.257 per litre on ordinary roads and €2.296 on motorways on October 17, according to France 24's report on the protests.
Euronews reported empty supermarket shelves and airport fuel problems as a result of the disruption. The supplied reporting does not establish the extent of industrial delays or confirm empty fuel stations separately.
Business and Made in Italy Minister Adolfo Urso warned that preventing trucks from passing could constitute a criminal roadblock, even when cars are allowed through. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the government would use legal powers against road blockades. The supplied materials do not identify the specific Italian legal provision or a possible penalty, so those warnings should not be read as confirmation that participants have been charged.
The Interior Ministry said 1,339 people had been identified and 71 reported to authorities as of October 22. “Reported to authorities” is the status provided in the supplied material; it does not establish that the 71 were formally charged or referred for investigation. ANSA reported the government's enforcement warnings and support announcement.
On October 22, the government announced measures totaling €105.2 million. That total consists of €45.2 million in diesel tax credits for eligible spending from March through August 2026 and €60 million for eligible spending from September 1 through October 5. The Infrastructure and Transport Ministry described the measures. The materials identify eligible operators as the beneficiaries of the credits but do not specify all qualification criteria. They also say eligible operators can defer certain vehicle-leasing payments through March 31, 2027.
By the numbers
- €105.2 million - combined value of the government's €45.2 million and €60 million measures announced October 22
- €2.257 and €2.296 - diesel prices per litre on ordinary roads and motorways, respectively, on October 17
- 1,339 and 71 - people identified and reported to authorities, respectively, as of October 22
Yes, but: The government has warned that blockades may constitute criminal roadblocks, but the supplied materials do not provide the relevant Italian law, penalty or evidence that the 71 people were formally charged.
What's next: The diesel-credit measures cover specified spending through October 5, while eligible operators may defer certain vehicle-leasing payments through March 31, 2027. The supplied materials do not define the full eligibility criteria.