Government Holds Emergency Meeting Over Messina-Strait Bridge Controversy

Rome: Premier Giorgia Meloni’s government is holding an “emergency meeting” on Thursday following a setback from Italy’s Audit Court, which on Wednesday refused to approve the ambitious project to construct a bridge connecting Sicily to the Italian mainland across the Strait of Messina. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini disclosed this development to Corriere della Sera.

According to Ansa News Agency, Meloni, Salvini, and other senior government officials criticized the court’s ruling, labeling it as another example of the judiciary overstepping its authority and interfering in political matters. This decision coincides with the Senate’s impending approval of a controversial judiciary reform, which aims to separate the career paths of prosecutors and judges.

Meloni denounced the State auditor’s decision as an overreach into governmental and parliamentary decisions. She emphasized that the constitutional reform of the judiciary and the Audit Court reform, both nearing approval in the Senate
, are appropriate responses to this perceived judicial overreach, which she insists will not hinder the government’s actions backed by Parliament.

The 13.5-billion-euro project had previously received approval from the CIPESS economic planning committee in August. The government anticipated an easy approval from the Audit Court, with Salvini projecting the bridge’s operational status by 2032 or 2033. The project outlines the creation of a 3.3-kilometre suspension bridge, 40 kilometres of road and rail links, three new train stations, and a business centre in Calabria.

Originally championed by the late Silvio Berlusconi, the project was shelved for decades due to high costs, environmental concerns, seismic risks, and potential mafia involvement. It was revived by Salvini after the centre-right’s electoral victory in 2022. The Audit Court has stated it will provide a detailed explanation of its decision within 30 days.

Elly Schlein, leader of the opposition centre-left Democratic Party (PD), criticized Melon
i’s response, asserting that the government’s true aim with the constitutional reform is not to improve justice but to enable itself to act above the law and the Constitution.