The recovery of belongings from
evacuated flats under Genoa's wrecked Morandi Bridge was
suspended Monday after creaks were heard from the eastern pillar
of the structure that collapsed killing 43 on August 14.
Fire teams stopped their operations after the creaks were
heard overnight and again Monday morning, local sources said.
They were not noises caused by the wind, fire services said.
Technical checks have been started.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the government was
"studying" the nationalisation of motorway operator Autostrade
per l'Italia.
"We are studying and working, we certainly won't give out the
presents that some gave in the past, when some signed measures
that allowed private companies to earn billions and made
Italians pay billions," he said.
The government is seeking to revoke the license of
Autostrade, which is controlled by the Benetton group through
the Atlantia group, after the disaster which sent shock waves
across Italy and came after a string of less serious collapses
in recent years.
Atlantia on Monday plunged a theoretical 9% on the Milan
bourse after being taken out of trading for excessive volatility
yet again.
Autostrade said Monday it was lifting toll payments across
Genoa's highway network for the foreseeable future.
There are already "many resources" in the EU's structural
funds, the Juncker Plan and the Italian motorway plan, and "the
issue is setting priorities," European Economic Affairs
Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Monday.
He was commenting on the Italian government's plan for
infrastructure spending outside the EU's Stability and Growth
Pact.
"We will examine the stability bill (budget) on the basis of
the rules and with one eye on the debt," Moscovici said.
He said "constructive dialogue" with Economy Minister
Giovanni Tria would continue on this.
The previous Democratic Party (PD) led government hiked
motorway maintenance by 80%, former transport minister Graziano
Delrio said Monday.
"Each of us must understand the limits of political action:
we did a 130 billion infrastructure plan, we raised maintenance
by 80%, but you don't always reap what you sow," he said.
"This remains a fragile country," said the PD bigwig.
Fire services reported issues with the Magliana Bridge in
Rome in February, Salvini said Monday.
"The firemen inspecting (the bridge) in February found some
issues, a state of decay, and then the competent structure moved
in April," he said on Italian TV.
Salvini added: "now I will have a report sent to me".
The centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) must
"restart" from the jeers it received at Saturday's State funeral
for Genoa bridge collapse victims, PD leader Maurizio Martina
said Monday.
"We must restart from those jeers in order to change," he
said.
While PD figures including Martina were subjected to whistles
and catcalls, League-Five Star government figures were applauded
at some of the funerals for the disaster's 43 victims.
"The only thing not to do," Martina said, "is to treat with
arrogance the climate that is crossing the country, because it
concerns us.
"The alternative to the League and the Five Stars is done by
flanking these people again.
"By putting our feet back on the streets.
"Only in this way will we defeat the danger represented by
those who rule us today".
Meanwhile former PD leader and ex-premier Matteo Renzi told
La Repubblica daily that the "Jacobin-like" treatment of the PD
would turn into a boomerang for the "presumed revolutionaries"
and that the PD would respond to it.
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