There will be no extension of time for the construction of the bridge over the Strait of Messina. This was reiterated by the CEO of the Stretto di Messina company, Pietro Ciucci, who in an interview with Ansa stated that, according to the timing contained in the report accompanying the “Commissioners” Law Decree, «by the summer we expect to be able to start the implementation phase». Statements that immediately aroused the harsh reaction of Angelo Bonelli, deputy of the Green and Left Alliance and co-spokesperson for Green Europe. According to Bonelli, the announcement of the start of the works would take place “without any respect for the decisions of the Court of Auditors and the decisions of the European Commission on the violation of the Procurement and Habitat directives”.
The parliamentarian also recalls how, since 2023, Ciucci and the Minister of Infrastructure Matteo Salvini have announced the start of the works several times, only to then postpone them. The economic and procedural profile of the work is also in Bonelli’s sights.
The Court of Auditors, he claims, would have highlighted the violation of the Procurement Directive for the transformation of the work from project financing – initially based on a mix of private and public capital – to an intervention entirely financed with public funds. The increase in costs was also contested, going from the initial 3.9 billion to the current 14.5 billion euros. «The government decree – states Bonelli – does not address the central issue: redoing the tender and protecting the restricted environmental sites, ignoring the design alternatives».
Pietro Ciucci himself responded to the accusations with a note, rejecting any criticism. «The times indicated for starting the implementation phase obviously take into account the legitimacy checks of the Court of Auditors – he clarifies – and therefore there is no lack of respect, contrary to what the Honorable Bonelli stated».
Ciucci also denies that the tender for the general contractor was based on project financing. «The procedure for the Eurolink Contractor did not include any project finance – he explains – which concerned exclusively the Stretto di Messina company and not the tender conditions».
As for costs, the CEO specifies that the fee for the general contractor is equal to 10.5 billion euros and not 14.5, and that the increase is almost exclusively due to the general increase in raw material prices, a phenomenon which does not affect the European procurement directive.