Italian opposition parties, backed by national and international mainstream media, have welcomed an Oct. 29 ruling by the Italian Court of Auditors which, they insist, represents a roadblock to the construction of the Bridge over the Strait of Messina. In reality, the ruling could be circumvented by the government and parliament; nevertheless, it shows that anti-national forces are activating their fifth column within the judiciary, in order to block any economic development.
On Oct. 30, the Italian government met in an emergency session to decide how to react to the Court denial of the so-called “legitimacy opinion” for the Bridge, and deliberated that they will wait for the motivations to be published at the end of November, and respond accordingly. Technically, the government can force the Court, through a Parliament vote, to release a “legitimacy with reservation” opinion, invoking reasons of higher national interest. Before doing that, Rome wants to see whether the problem can be solved without a confrontation, answering to the raised objections.
Whatever the policy course will be, the Court ruling has delayed construction works, which should have started in November by two months. Even if there is a happy end, attorneys for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have announced challenges at the Constitutional Court and the Administrative Court.
