Matteo Salvini calls for multi-billion euro budget shift for Italian infrastructure

During the InnoTrans 2026 trade fair in Berlin, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini called for a multi-billion euro budget shift to support national development. Salvini emphasized the need for a courageous budget to address rising energy and fuel costs driven by ongoing international conflicts. He suggested that major banks, which reported significant profits, and energy giants could contribute to funding public works.

Regarding specific infrastructure, Salvini highlighted the progress of high-speed rail projects, noting nearly 30 billion euros in ongoing works in Sicily and Calabria. He stressed the economic necessity of the Messina Strait Bridge to connect Sicily to the mainland, aiming for construction to begin by 2026. The project is currently undergoing administrative reviews by the Corte dei Conti and awaits a new deliberation from the Cipess.

Additionally, Salvini announced plans to request a delay in the ban on Euro 5 diesel vehicles in Lombardy during an upcoming Council of Ministers meeting. In local news, the Municipality of Palermo was ordered by a court to compensate a citizen injured by a pothole, highlighting ongoing urban maintenance challenges.