Europe says yes to building the bridge over the Strait. A “historic passage”, defined by the Minister of Infrastructure, who received the green light from Brussels to produce the project of the great work to “be able to be co-financed at least in the first phase”, to quote Matteo Salvini himself. Thus, 45 days after taking office, the minister of the Northern League has already placed two flags on the Bridge: the reactivation of the public Spa – which has been stopped for about ten years – which will have to carry out the works, and the OK from Brussels, ready to see the project to activate the first loans. “The bridge over the Strait is a priority for me, for the government, for millions of Italians – said Salvini – and it is of extreme interest to the European Commission, as it is seen as the completion of a corridor linking the Mediterranean to Scandinavia” . The bridge is already included in the plan for the European Ten-T corridors, and during a dinner in Brussels, between the Deputy Prime Minister and the EU Commissioner for Transport, “more steps” emerged, as explained by Adina Valean herself. “We are ready, waiting for a good and coherent project to finance the first feasibility phase, so that the project can take off”, said the EU commissioner. Deep down, for Valean, the European Commission would feel “honored” to concretely help Italy in starting the bridge over the Straits, provided that a solid financial plan and a definitive project are formalized.
«Congratulations to Minister Salvini for the concrete support obtained by the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean, for the construction of the bridge over the Strait» congratulates the governor of Sicily, Renato Schifani, considering the result of Brussels, «a goal that is so coveted , essential to finally give Sicily the role it deserves, that of a modern European region in the center of the Mediterranean”. , is important data that attests to the strategic importance of a stable connection between Calabria and Sicily and, above all, the value of a major project that is fully integrated into the trans-European transport networks» commented the President of the Region of Calabria, Roberto Occhiuto . “This new step – he added – embodies the commitment made in recent weeks by Minister Salvini, who also fought to include 3 billion euros in the budget law for the Ionian Highway. In addition to the bridge, in fact, other fundamental infrastructure is needed to make Calabria, and the whole of the South, a leap into the future in terms of mobility, connections and movement of goods and people».
“Today, more than ever, the foundations are being laid to undertake and win a historic battle that, remember, was idealized and promoted by Silvio Berlusconi – explains Tullio Ferrante, Undersecretary for Infrastructure – although for a long time contested by pseudo-ideological vetoes environmentalists. Therefore, we will quickly come up with a solid and reliable project plan to avoid further delays, waste of time and money and finally realize a priority objective for our Italian system”.
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
