An Italian “
Don't pay UK
”?
This is reported by the Italian daily
Il Venerdi
, quoted by
Courrier International
.
La Botte has been facing demonstrations in several major cities in recent weeks aimed at protesting against inflation and exorbitant energy prices.
The modus operandi of the demonstrators is very specific, and consists of burning gas or electricity bills, to contest prices which are skyrocketing.
A movement that seems to be directly inspired by the British movement "
Don't pay UK
", launched in August 2022.
“I decided to eat, and not to pay”
Across the Channel, the protesters demanded, among other things, the immediate cancellation of price increases, and the establishment of a social tax on energy to allow everyone to be warm this winter.
They have since had some success... even being exported to the continent?
By burning their bills in front of the cameras, the Italians have in any case followed suit.
"
I received a gas bill of 320 euros and an electricity bill of 245 euros
," says an Italian retiree at the microphone of Radio France.
“
I receive a pension of 500 euros.
I've gotten to a point where I'm like, either I eat or I pay my bills
."
And to hammer, in a definitive tone: “
And I decided to eat, and not to pay
”.
The epicenter of the demonstration is in Naples, from where the protest started on September 2, 2022. Hundreds of unemployed Neapolitans were already burning their bills to protest against the sharp rise in prices.
The protests are now spreading to several other Italian capitals.
The movement is gradually taking shape, supported by several environmental non-governmental organizations, such as Extinction Rébellion.
"
The epicenters of our struggle are Milan, Turin, Bologna, Tuscany, the Marches, Rome
", explains one of the spokespersons for the NGO to the Italian daily.
He adds that he would like “
a generalized moratorium on energy costs that allows families to get through the winter
”.
General strike of payments from November 30
The movement's website, entitled "Non Paghiamo" ("
we will not pay
", Editor's note), is more than clear, asking "
that bills be reduced to pre-pandemic and pre-war costs
".
In the absence of responses from the government, the challenge aims to set up a general strike on payments “
from November 30
”.
The site hopes to collect one million signatures by the end of the month.
So far, nearly 35,000 people have already joined the platform.
The rise in prices accelerated in Italy to 8.9% over one year, against 8.4% in August, according to Istat.
Food prices increased by 11.5%, and energy prices by 44.5%.
This spectacular rise in prices is at its highest for more than forty years on the peninsula: enough to fuel the anger of many Italians who claim to be cornered by exorbitant bills that no longer allow them to live properly.
Read alsoRecord inflation and growth at half mast in Europe
The Italian government had already adopted in mid-September a plan of 14 billion euros intended to support households and businesses in the face of rising energy bills, allowing Italy to prance on the podium of countries having "
spent the most in Europe
", according to Mario Draghi, the former head of government.
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