Deputy Premier and Interior
Minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday that it was odd that the
government had allowed Paris to have access to a key
cost-benefit analysis on the controversial TAV Turin-Lyon
high-speed rail link before him.
The government has said the analysis will have a major
bearing on whether it decides to press ahead with the project.
It sent the report to the French government on Tuesday.
League leader Salvini says the project should go ahead but
his coalition partners in the 5-Star Movement (M5S) are opposed
to it.
"I, the deputy premier who represents the Italian people, do
not have the cost-benefit analysis on the TAV but it seems that
Paris does," Salvini said during as visit to the central city of
Terni.
"This is quite bizarre".
M5S leader, Labour and Industry Minister and fellow Deputy
Premier Luigi Di Maio disagreed.
"Salvini should relax. I haven't read the cost-benefit
analysis either," Di Maio said.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli said
it was normal for the French authorities and the European
Commission to see the analysis before other members of the
Italian executive.
"We gave the report to France first because it relates to an
international treaty," said Toninelli, an M5S member.
"Today we will give the cost-benefit dossier to the European
Commission.
"Matteo will have to have a little patience and wait 24
hours.
"When the time comes, I'll take it to him personally in a
closed envelope".
The transport ministry said Wednesday evening it had sent
the report to the EC.
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