Italy Weighs Military Status for Sicily Bridge

(MENAFN) Italy's administration is reportedly exploring the idea of designating a long-planned EURO13.5 billion (roughly USD14 billion) bridge project to Sicily as a military initiative.

This reclassification could assist the country in achieving NATO’s updated defense expenditure benchmark of 5 percent of gross domestic product by the year 2035, according to a report released on Monday.

The initiative emerges amid growing pressure on Italy—whose defense spending amounted to just 1.49 percent of its GDP in 2023—to substantially boost its investments in military and security-related sectors, a news outlet stated.

Authorities highlight that the proposed bridge, which would span the Strait of Messina and become the globe’s longest suspension bridge, has the potential to fulfill both civilian and defense-oriented roles.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini emphasize that the structure could significantly enhance NATO’s logistical capabilities, particularly by facilitating faster movement of troops and military hardware between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean basin.

"Infrastructure is also strategic from a security perspective in many ways," Salvini affirmed, indicating that the bridge could be included in Italy’s NATO-related defense calculations.

A government-issued document from April labeled the bridge as vital not only for the broader public benefit but also for both "national and international security."

Officials are optimistic that labeling the project as a military-linked resource might reduce administrative obstacles and open access to alternative funding sources.

Although only 3.5 percent of NATO’s defense target needs to be allocated to core military spending, member countries are permitted to use up to 1.5 percent for strategic infrastructure—a provision Italy is considering leveraging.

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