Mario Tozzi weighs in on the clash over a project that continues to divide Italy before uniting Sicily with the mainland
Abstract: The Italian Court of Auditors has denied the certificate of legitimacy for CIPESS Resolution No. 41/2025 concerning the Strait of Messina Bridge project, effectively suspending the progress of a €15 billion undertaking. The decision—based on technical observations that have not yet been made public—has sparked a heated confrontation between the government and the accounting judiciary. While Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini denounce what they call institutional obstructionism, the opposition calls for respect for the Constitution and condemns the political use of a project deemed outdated and risky. Among the critical voices, geologist and TV science communicator Mario Tozzi—who had already expressed strong opposition—emphasizes the project’s environmental fragility and lack of sustainability, reopening the broader debate on the relationship between progress, legality, and public responsibility.
Keywords: #CourtOfAuditors #BridgeOverTheStrait #CIPESS #Meloni #Salvini #MarioTozzi #Constitution #Legitimacy #FinancialOversight #Infrastructure #SouthernItaly #Sicily #Calabria #ItalianGovernment #Politics #Environment #Sustainability #AccountingJustice #RobertoCastellucci #MarioTozzi #EthicaSocietas #EthicaSocietasReview #ScientificReview #PoliticalScience #SocialSciences #EthicaSocietasUpli
Mario Tozzi (1959), Geologist, PhD in Earth Sciences, senior researcher at the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering of the National Research Council (CNR), science communicator, essayist, and television host. Among his prime-time programs are Gaia – The Living Planet, Third Planet, and Sapiens – One Planet on Rai 3, as well as numerous other shows on Rai, LA7, and other networks, and documentaries for Rai International.
“The Court of Auditors exercises prior control over the legality of government acts, as well as subsequent control over the management of the State budget. It also participates, in the cases and forms established by law, in the supervision of the financial management of entities to which the State contributes on a regular basis. It reports directly to Parliament on the results of its audits. The law guarantees the independence of both institutions (including the Council of State, editor’s note) and of their members from the Government.” (Article 100 of the Italian Constitution)
It is the constitutional provision itself that introduces us to the note with which the Corte dei conti (Italian Court of Auditors) rejected the certificate of legitimacy (visto di legittimità) for CIPESS Resolution No. 41/2025 concerning the final design of the permanent connection between Sicily and Calabria.
The decision was made by the Central Section for the Legitimacy Control of Government and State Administration Acts, at the end of the chamber meeting following the session of October 29, 2025. The resolution, approved by CIPESS last August 6, provided for the allocation of resources from the Cohesion and Development Fund and the approval of the final project under Decree-Law No. 35 of 2023.
The reasons for the rejection of the certificate are not yet known, and it will take 30 days before they are disclosed.
Without retracing the well-known political, legal, and sociological events—now familiar even to the honey buzzards that periodically fly over Scylla and Charybdis—we will simply recall that on March 16, 2023, the Meloni government approved a decree-law to resume the construction of the project, whose origins date back to ancient times. On March 31, 2023, the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, promulgated the so-called Bridge Decree.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport estimated the cost of the project, including all road and railway access works, at 15 billion euros, with the start of construction planned for 2025.
Before reaching the halt imposed by the Corte dei conti, it is worth recalling another setback: the United States’ rejection of Italy’s proposal to include the Strait Bridge among NATO military expenditures.
The Italian government’s idea — raised to help reach the goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense by 2035 — was firmly opposed by the U.S., which considered it an example of “creative accounting”, designed merely to secure NATO funding under the guise of military expenditure.
Political reactions soon followed. On October 30, in an interview with TG1, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the Court’s decision with a rather unusual comment: “To the accounting magistrates, I must say that I was frankly a bit puzzled by some remarks — like the one questioning why we shared part of the documentation via link. One would be tempted to answer: ‘Because there’s the Internet.’”
While awaiting the official reasoning for the rejection, it would still be astonishing to believe that the project lacks legitimacy simply because it was transmitted to the Court through a link…
Among the most outspoken government representatives was Matteo Salvini, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, who declared on Radio Anch’io: “I want to build the Strait Bridge; I’m not interested in clashes. I’ve read that great architects, farmers’ associations, truckers, Confindustria, and others are in favor. The bridge isn’t for Salvini — it connects five million Italians who live in Sicily with Italy and Europe.”
Perhaps it should be reminded to the minister that the Constitution, upon which he swore allegiance to the State, still does not grant the respectable categories he mentioned the ‘external and neutral control performed with absolute impartiality with respect to the interests pursued from time to time by the government or the administration’.
In response to the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Angelo Bonelli, deputy of Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra (Green and Left Alliance), thundered: “The Italian people clearly understand that the real priority for this country is not to spend 15 billion euros on an infrastructure that lies in a seismic zone and is based on a 28-year-old project. Far from ‘uniting five million Italians’, with this project the minister divides the country, impoverishes it, and diverts vital public resources from works that are truly useful to the community.”
That “community” might well be represented by Sicilian citizens, long relegated to oblivion when it comes to improving local infrastructure. This sentiment is echoed by a retired Sicilian friend, who, during her long walks, finds it difficult to come across any roadworks worth admiring…
Amusing, though somewhat lacking in substance, was the quip from Forza Italia senator Maurizio Gasparri: “The Court of Auditors should audit Conte!”
He was referring to former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, whom he accused of “leaving us with 40 billion euros in debt every year.” Once again, it would have been desirable for the former Deputy Speaker of the Senate to offer a comment more relevant to the Court’s ruling.
Meanwhile, Elly Schlein, perhaps still struggling to harmonize her tone with that of the opposition, noted that Meloni’s words seem to imply “now we’ll show you who’s in charge.” In essence, she warned that the recent judicial reform introducing the separation of careers may also indirectly threaten the Corte dei conti, “which must ensure that those who govern use Italians’ money according to the rules.”
The ever-provocative Beppe Grillo took a more reflective, though theoretical, stance:
“The 13 billion euros allocated — which will probably increase — would be better spent strengthening commuter rail lines, used by 90% of train passengers, or modernizing Sicily’s water system, where potable water is scarce. What we truly need are investments in genuinely useful and achievable projects — modern railways or wind farms that provide real benefits within a certain timeframe. Grand projects serve politicians more than citizens; they are instruments of propaganda and power, disguised as strategic interests for the nation.”
Looking more closely, behind the majority’s comments lies the hope that the obstacles raised by the Court’s reasoning may later be removed through project revisions. Yet, at times, that hope turns into presumption: “No other authority can prevent a democratically elected government from implementing the program proposed to voters. If we truly wish to give meaning to the word democracy, accounting magistrates are tasked with due oversight — but certainly not with any power of interdiction or obstruction.”
These were the words of Hon. Isabella De Monte of Forza Italia.
One of my Roman readers told me he had seen the spirit of Montesquieu himself floating menacingly above the Chamber of Deputies after hearing her statement…
According to Aurora Notarianni, a lawyer from Messina who follows the approval process of the Strait of Messina Bridge project on behalf of WWF, a potential government push to proceed regardless could entail serious consequences: “Registering the CIPESS resolution without the approval of the accounting magistrates could expose government members to personal liability if the process were later annulled. If you assign a contract to a company to carry out a project without a tender, without the necessary qualifications, or at an unreasonable price, you may be called to account for the financial damage caused to the state.”
A veritable pickaxe of Damocles, indeed…
However, the planned bridge faces not only administrative and legal obstacles — even the ground itself seems to oppose it, with its unrestrained geological instability. It is also true that if the bridge is never built, it can never collapse — a view reportedly shared by renowned geologist Mario Tozzi, who, in light of the Court’s decision, offered us new remarks following the interview he granted Ethica Societas on September 13 (see https://www.ethicasocietas.it/ponte-stretto-mario-tozzi/).
Mr. Tozzi, some have said you celebrated the Court’s rejection of the project. Is that true? “First of all, I want to deny that I rejoiced at the Court’s decision. In fact, I am deeply saddened that time, money, and energy continue to be wasted on a useless and purely demonstrative work — ideological and miseducational.”
Excuse me, but don’t you think the Bridge could also be a symbol of progress? “Progress isn’t measured in steel, concrete, and asphalt. It’s measured in our harmonious coexistence with the natural world, enjoyment of the landscape, empathy with living beings, and preservation of life’s richness and ecosystems — building only what is truly necessary, with sustainable methods.”
And what would you do with the funds allocated for its construction? “Those 15 billion euros could be used instead for anti-seismic reconstruction in the provinces of Messina and Reggio Calabria, for eco-sustainable improvement of ports and ferry systems, and for restructuring Sicily’s and Calabria’s transport networks — preserving for our descendants values such as landscape, nature, harmony, and a more sensible way of inhabiting the world.”
But isn’t it the government’s right to implement the projects it promised during the election campaign? “Governments don’t represent only those who voted for them! They have responsibilities toward all citizens. In a broader sense, we have no right to impose on those who lent us this planet a physical and cultural scar whose utility is doubtful and whose burden is certain.”
In your view, what might have motivated the Court’s decision? “In my opinion, the rejection may have been due to incomplete documentation, key opinions lacking an authorized signature, an outdated project, and above all the absence of documents showing how the project’s costs — entirely borne by the State — were calculated, all without a proper cost estimate.”
So, according to you, our leaders are…? “…amateurs on the loose — not evil, just incompetent.”
But five billion euros have already been spent… “I’ve always preferred values over prices.”
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