Rome, August 19 (LaPresse) – “The Strait of Messina Bridge allows Italy and Europe to project themselves into the Mediterranean at the right time, repositioning the center of European growth toward the South. This is no small matter in a world that increasingly must deal with Asia—from Turkey to the Middle East, to beyond Suez with India and China—and, in the future, with Africa as well.
The territorial continuity between Southern Italy and Sicily could be leveraged in both directions of traffic. Even Sicilian ports (such as Palermo, Catania, and Augusta) could position themselves as strategic hubs in Asia–Europe logistics chains. But more importantly—even beyond the value of logistical intermediation—they could become a base for Italian manufacturing localization, as companies might find it advantageous to move production there for emerging markets on the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean.
The Strait of Messina Bridge will not achieve all this alone, but it will make it possible—contributing to the development of Southern Italy far beyond what was imagined during the long years of the project’s planning. The Bridge is, therefore, a European infrastructure, a catalyst for rebalancing and greater growth for the entire continent. We should all be proud of it.”
This is what CNEL President Renato Brunetta wrote in an op-ed published in Corriere della Sera, co-signed with Paolo Costa.
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