Italy's PNRR rollout faces funding gaps in Bitonto and Sicily

In the southern city of Bitonto, opposition councilor Nicola Acquafredda warned that residents could be liable for up to €10 million to cover the risk of defunding three public works—Piazza Moro, the local sports hall and a school—if the national PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) funds are withdrawn. He criticised the municipal administration for a lack of transparency and for allocating the reserve fund without informing citizens.

Across the island of Sicily, progress on PNRR projects remains slow. Only 16.7% of the 46,599 funded projects have been completed, with 83.3% still pending. The region received about €12.36 billion, but most works are unfinished as the deadline approaches. Trapani province is an outlier, having completed 24% of its 4,022 projects, valued at roughly €733 million. The largest share of Sicilian funding targets ecological transition (€3.2 billion), followed by education and research (€2.33 billion), infrastructure and digitalisation, inclusion, and health.