Italian oil giant ENI won the 2026 “Green Gag Award” from the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) on April 28. The award highlighted ENI’s €800,000 lawsuit against environmental group ReCommon and campaigner Eva Pastorelli over references to oil licences in Palestinian waters. CASE warns that such legal actions can intimidate critics and discourage public scrutiny of powerful corporations.
Personal Remarks
On a personal note, I am being sued for more than €3 million by ENI and its subsidiary Novamont. What makes this particularly striking is that ENI remains effectively controlled by the Italian government, which holds 33.09% of its shares. When a state-backed oil giant pursues a journalist for millions of euros, serious questions arise about press freedom and the responsibility of public shareholders.