Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said "no" on Thursday when asked if he was convinced about the cost-benefit analysis on the controversial TAV Turin-Lyon high-speed rail project published this week by the transport and infrastructure ministry.
The analysis gave the project the thumbs down, saying it would have a negative cost-benefit balance of between seven and eight billion euros.
Critics have said the analysis was biased. "The faster people and goods travel, the better," Salvini said. The government had said the analysis would have a bearing on whether it decides to press ahead with the project or not. The 5-Star Movement (M5S) of Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli and Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio, the M5S leader, has long been opposed to the project due to its cost and environmental impact. But League leader Salvini has said the TAV should go ahead and had mooted the idea of holding a referendum on it if the cost-benefit analysis was negative.
European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, deputy
president of Silvio Berlusconi's opposition centre-right Forza
Italia party, on Thursday said the study was "bogus" and "has a
very limited vision".
The government had said the analysis would have a bearing on
whether it decides to press ahead with the project or not.
The 5-Star Movement (M5S) of Transport Minister Danilo
Toninelli and Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio, the M5S leader, has
long been opposed to the project due to its cost and
environmental impact.
But League leader Salvini has said the TAV should go ahead
and had mooted the idea of holding a referendum on it if the
cost-benefit analysis was negative.
Toninelli said he was confident the ruling alliance will
reach an agreement.
"The analysis was enormously negative, but we and the League
have always talked to each other in a concrete, objective way
without prejudice," Toninelli said.
"No one should challenge that report because it is the only
scientific report compiled by transport economist.
"Clearly, however, it is a political decision".
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