Tension rises in the government over the Tav case. On Thursday afternoon, the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, effectively sided with the 5 Star Movement: "Not starting from any ideological prejudice or emotional factor - he said - I expressed strong doubts and perplexity about the convenience of the Tav and I repeat it. I'm not at all convinced that this is an infrastructure project that Italy needs”. The Premier, however, assures that "a government crisis is excluded: it would be absurd".
THE THREAT OF SALVINI
After about three hours, however, Matteo Salvini's reaction arrives, raising the clash in the majority to levels never seen before: "If the Five Stars go all the way with the no to the Tav - warns the Northern League's deputy prime minister - I'll go too 'I. If someone tells me that trains are not needed, that there is no need to help entrepreneurs, farmers and commuters and go all the way, I too will go all the way, because Italy cannot remain disconnected from the rest of Europe. We spent money digging miles of tunnels under a mountain. Nobody will make me change my mind about the Tav and no minister of the League will sign to block the works, I hope that in the next few hours we will start again, as far as I am concerned it will be done ".
The broadside is powerful from the Minister of the Interior, who however does not want to address the crisis and concludes by saying: "I will do everything to prevent the government from falling". The confrontation, however, now seems inevitable.
THE REPLIC OF DI MAIO
The pentastellato leader, Luigi Di Maio, says he is “stunned by the threat of a government crisis that comes from Minister Salvini. This is a time when there are millions of Italians waiting to be compensated because they were defrauded by the banks, to receive citizenship income, to go into pension with a quota of 100. And is Minister Salvini threatening a government crisis? And then for what? We are only asking that the Prime Minister initiate an interlocution with France and with the Commission at the Tav”. Di Maio, however, also says that he is not willing to question the No to the Tav: “For us, the tenders must be suspended. The cost-benefit analysis of the Ministry of Infrastructure is authentic, which is negative”.
The leader of the Five Star group in the Senate, Patuanelli, cuts it short: "If there is a Tav there is no Government, if there is a Government there is no Tav".
SALVINI'S REPLAYER
Salvini does not accept the provocation that came from the grillino political leader: “Am I irresponsible? Di Maio was talking to his parents”. Then he announces: "There is no summit today, we'll talk about it again on Monday: I'm in favor of doing and not undoing". Finally, he assures that "the tenders will start on Monday".
THE POSITIONS OF FRANCE AND THE EU
Meanwhile Conte has asked for a confrontation with France and the EU, because without an agreement with Paris and Brussels the costs of an Italian No to the Tav would be much heavier. In reality, however, the French and European positions have been known for some time. Just yesterday, the French Minister for Infrastructure reiterated that France has already signed a treaty with Italy, which provides for the construction of the tunnel: "It is a very important project - she said - I hope the Italians will say they will build the tunnel with us”. The minister then underlined that the EU is ready to finance the work at 50% and no longer at 40%.
Meanwhile, from Brussels they repeat that Italy risks losing 813 million euros of EU funds if it decides to stop the Tav. The Commission does not confirm, but according to some rumors, a letter to our government is ready to request a decision on the Tav.
There is also the question of cost sharing raised by Conte because it is unfavorable to our country. However, Brussels sources point out that this is an integral part of the agreement between the two countries: Italy contributes 58% because France has to bear higher costs to equip the accesses to the railway stage in the national territory than the costs incurred by Italy.
THE STUDY OF PONTI WHICH PRAISES TAV
While the battle goes on, a study comes out that embarrasses (and not a little) the Government, revealed by La7 in a report by Frediano Finucci. A confidential analysis by the EU Commission entitled "The impact of TEN-T completion on growth, jobs and the environment" praises the advantages of the Mediterranean corridor which also includes Turin-Lyon.
The study was drawn up by numerous researchers, among which the 'Trt transport and territory' company chaired by Marco Ponti, that is the professor who, together with other technicians, oversaw the cost-benefit analysis commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructures peremptorily rejected the Tav considering it "overpriced". Precisely on the basis of this analysis, Minister Toninelli expressed his opposition to the project.
“The study” commented MIT sources “was only marginally involved by the company 'Trt transport and territory, chaired by Professor Marco Ponti. The latter, however, not only did not sign the research, but does not know its contents in any way”.
"It should be specified - they continue - that this is an analysis attributable to those of added value, based on the Keynesian multiplier, a method that has nothing to do with the cost-benefit analysis carried out on the Turin-Lyon section".
