Farewell to the Tav is getting closer. This would be the stake to be placed on the plate to accommodate the pressures of the M5S on the one hand and "save" the construction of the Tap pipeline on the other. The creation of the Turin-Lyon line, agreed with France and at the center of the European railway axes, was one of the strong points of the pentastellata electoral campaign. Precisely for this reason, the grillini's pressure on the Conte government has not only not stopped but has gradually increased. A first sign of intolerance towards the Tav came when the Minister of Infrastructure Danilo Toninelli made it clear that the contract for the construction of the Piedmontese section of the railway link could at least be changed: an advance on the definitive stop? So it was interpreted by many.
The sacrifice of the TAV, which the League strongly wants, however, would be the price to pay to save the TAP, the gas pipeline that crosses Turkey and Greece from Azerbaijan, passes under the Adriatic and is expected to land in Puglia. This work is also part of the so-called European "corridors" for energy and will bring 8-10 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Italy (and from here to Europe) when fully operational. Snam, which manages the pipeline network in Italy, is a shareholder with 20% of the Tap but above all to cancel the pipeline - in the current state of the works already in an advanced stage of construction on the international section and opposed in Italy on a local and by the Apulian governor Emiliano – it would cost no less than 8 billion in penalties. The bill to pay to cancel the TAV, on the other hand, is valued at approximately 2 billion (excluding penalties to be paid to companies for work in progress or already underway) against the 3 billion cost of completing the work. Finally, it should be considered that the company for the construction of Tav (its name is Tent - Euralpin Lyon Turin Tunnel) it is divided 50% with France. The Italian shareholder is Ferrorive dello Stato, whose top management was beheaded a few days ago by Minister Toninelli. The renewal of the board of directors it will pass by the council of ministers convened today, Friday 27 July at 12, together with the match on the Rai appointments.
The pressure of the pentastellati on Giuseppe Conte seems to be bringing results and the premier would be ready to accept the requests coming from the deputy Luigi Di Maio. But a new rift opens with the League: Interior Minister Salvini warned on Friday morning during a TV show: "We need to move forward and not go back," said the Northern League leader. And he added: “The work is useful and if by chance from an updated analysis of 2018 it is not needed, does it cost more to block it than to continue it? This is the reasoning that will apply to everything, cost-benefit analysis, the Tav, the Tap, the Pedemontana, Third Pass. This is written and this we will do. There is cost-benefit analysis, it's not that I make Italians pay billions”. And for the presidency of the Fs he wants Giuseppe Bonomi, ex Sea, who has always been close to the League.
In the end Palazzo Chigi specifies that "the dossier on the Tav has not yet reached the table of the Prime Minister, therefore no decision has yet been taken and above all there have been no evaluations in this regard". And so he tries to appease the spirits of the two contenders.
France reacts with dismay in the face of the Italian "confusion". “We are following the situation very carefully, but honestly we find it hard to see clearly, because there is so much confusion. On Monday, on radio 1, Minister Toninelli says that the Tav needs to be improved, now they say they want to block it. I wonder how it is possible to change your mind like this in 4 days?”. This was stated to ANSA by Stephane Guggino, general delegate of the French Transalpine committee, which promotes the Lyon-Turin high-speed line.
"I observe that within the government coalition" the two deputy prime ministers Matteo Salvini and Luigi di Maio "do not agree at all". And yet at a certain point, if it is really taken, the decision to block the Tav "will have to go through a vote in parliament: someone will have to assume their responsibilities," says Guggino.
Updated on Saturday 28 July at 10,30am
