The House on Thursday approved a
motion from government partners the 5-Star Movement (M5S) and
the League committing the government to "wholly rediscuss the
Turin-Lyon high-speed rail (TAV) line project, applying the
accord between Italy and France".
A tussle between the government coalition partners over
the controversial rail link continued on Thursday.
Deputy Premier and Labour and Industry Minister Luigi Di
Maio's M5S has long been against the project and its calls for
the project to be ditched have increased after a new report
commissioned by the transport ministry said it has a negative
cost-benefit balance of seven to eight billion euros.
But fellow Deputy Premier, Interior Minister and League
leader Matteo Salvini reiterated on Thursday they he thinks it
should go ahead.
"The aim is to revise the project, save where it is possible
to save, and move forward," Salvini said.
Agriculture Minister Gian Marco Centinaio, a League member,
said that he would "ask if the TAV has effectively been put on
ice" at a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
However, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Manlio Di Stefano of
the M5S said the project should be terminated.
"It's a project that would cause the Italian people to lose
seven billion euros," he said.
"As far as we are concerned, it should be stopped
completely".
Transport Minister Dario Toninelli said Thursday the M5S
would find a solution on the TAV with the League "at most in two
weeks".
"At most in two weeks time we will communicate the solution.
We'll find a solution with our government allies," he said.
Toninelli added: "Enough talking about the TAV. The citizens
want to hear about so many other projects".
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said
Thursday that it was up to France and Italy to decide whether to
press ahead with the TAV.
"It's a decision that the two republics, France and Italy,
must take," Juncker told reporters. "We'll see who wins".
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