Italy’s €13.5 billion Sicily bridge: Bold military gamble to meet NATO’s 5% target Article by POLITICO

In a bid to meet NATO’s ambitious new military spending target of 5% of GDP by 2035, Italy is proposing that the long-discussed €13.5 billion bridge linking the mainland to Sicily be classified as a strategic military project.

Italy’s current defense expenditure stands at only 1.49% of GDP, among the lowest in the alliance, making the 5% goal seem out of reach. The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is reviving the decades-old plan for the world’s longest suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina — a project once envisioned by Benito Mussolini and later championed by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, as reported by POLITICO in its latest piece.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini emphasise the bridge’s strategic NATO value, arguing it is not merely an economic infrastructure but a key asset for defence. An April government report stated the bridge “has strategic importance for national and international security,” facilitating the rapid movement of Italian armed forces and NATO allies between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Although no formal decision has been taken yet on officially classifying the bridge as military spending, government officials say further discussions are imminent to evaluate feasibility. The reclassification could help Meloni’s administration justify major defence investments despite public wariness and economic austerity pressures.

Under NATO guidelines, only 3.5% of GDP must be core defence spending, while 1.5% can be allocated to broader strategic resilience, including infrastructure projects. The Italian Treasury sees the bridge’s military label as a way to overcome economic and bureaucratic obstacles that have stalled construction for decades, such as high costs, seismic risks, and local opposition.

According to Treasury officials, the new designation would override legal challenges from local authorities worried about environmental and land impacts, and would ease funding efforts, especially in the coming year.

In April, the government officially declared the project to be of “imperative reasons of overriding public interest.” Italy has also requested that the bridge be included in the EU’s military mobility financing plan, aligning it with strategies for moving military personnel, equipment, and materiel across the continent.

However, the bridge currently lies outside Italy’s only designated NATO military mobility corridor, which runs from the Puglia region across the Adriatic to the Balkans. It remains unclear whether the Strait of Messina will be incorporated into the EU’s military mobility network, which aims to align with NATO’s corridors.

The U.S., a key NATO player, has not commented officially on the bridge’s military classification. At the recent NATO summit in The Hague, U.S. officials declined to comment, reportedly reacting with amusement.

Tajani, a vocal proponent, stated in an interview, “We will make Italians understand that security is a broader concept than just tanks,” highlighting the bridge’s dual civilian and military roles. Salvini, who sees the project as a way to expand his far-right League party’s national appeal, has been pushing for accelerated approvals and political backing. The final authorisation is expected as early as July.

Opposition parties, including the left-populist 5-Star Movement, strongly oppose both the bridge and its classification as military spending. MEP Giuseppe Antoci called it “a mockery of the citizens and NATO commitments,” warning the government risks international ridicule. Critics also argue the project is a misplaced priority for two of Italy’s poorest regions, Sicily and Calabria, which suffer from inadequate local infrastructure, poor healthcare, and deteriorating transport networks.

Despite controversy, the Meloni government is committed to moving forward with the project. In a move that may raise eyebrows, Tajani has proposed naming the bridge after Berlusconi, whose tenure as prime minister was marked by scandal and flamboyance.

By Tamilla Hasanova