Government to Resolve Messina Strait Bridge Project Hurdles – Salvini
Rome: Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini announced on Thursday that the government is committed to addressing the issues that led the Audit Court to deny approval for the Messina Strait Bridge project. This project aims to connect Sicily to the Italian mainland through a bridge.
According to Ansa News Agency, the Audit Court plans to release the rationale behind its decision within the next 30 days. Salvini expressed confidence in responding to the court’s findings, stating, “We await the findings of the Audit Court, which we are convinced we can respond to point by point, with extreme calm.” Despite the delay, Salvini anticipates construction to commence in February rather than the initially planned November.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Salvini, and other government officials criticized the court’s ruling, arguing it exemplifies judicial overreach into political affairs. This decision coincides with the Senate’s impending approval of a contentious judiciary reform, which aims to distinctly separate the career paths of prosecutors and judges.
Meloni described the Audit Court’s decision as an overreach into government and parliamentary decisions. She emphasized that the looming constitutional and judicial reforms represent an appropriate countermeasure to what she perceives as judicial intrusion, asserting that such actions will not hinder the government’s plans, which are backed by Parliament.
The 13.5-billion-euro project received approval from the CIPESS economic planning committee in August, with expectations that the Audit Court would endorse it. Salvini had projected that the bridge would be operational by 2032 or 2033. The project entails constructing a 3.3-kilometre suspension bridge, 40 kilometres of road and rail connections, three new train stations, and a business centre in Calabria. Though initially proposed over fifty years ago, the project faced delays due to financial, environmental, and safety concerns, as well as potential mafia involvement, until it was revitalized by Salvini following the centre-right’s 2022 electoral victory.
Elly Schlein, leader of the opposition centre-left Democratic Party (PD), criticized Meloni’s reaction to the court’s ruling. Schlein argued that Meloni’s comments reveal the true intention behind the constitutional reform, suggesting it is designed not to enhance justice or benefit Italians, but to grant the government unchecked power above the law and Constitution.