MILAN (AP) — Italy cleared the way Wednesday to build the world’s largest suspension bridge linking the Italian mainland with Sicily in a massive 13.5 billion euro ($15.5 billion) infrastructure project that has been long delayed by debates over its scale, earthquake threats, environmental impact and the specter of mafia interference.
The Strait of Messina Bridge will be “the biggest infrastructure project in the West,” Transport Minister Matteo Salvini told a news conference in Rome, after an interministerial committee with oversight of strategic public investments approved the project.
Premier Giorgia Meloni said that the bridge “will be an engineering symbol of global significance.’’
Salvini cited studies showing the project will create 120,000 jobs a year and accelerate growth in economically lagging southern Italy, as billions more in investments are made in roads and other infrastructure projects accompanying the bridge.
It does. Literally all infrastructure spending can be used against the 5% spending goal.
That’s how they got it through, Trump got a bigger number to boast about, NATO countries got to include all infrastructure so that there isn’t really that much of an increase above the 2% spending goal.
Oh wow, that’s pretty good!
Also support for Ukraine counts as well.
Wouldn’t that be a net decrease then?
Assuming the 2% before was on stuff like guns, soldier salaries, weapons, tanks, etc. and fuel/maintenance, does this now not include stuff they were already spending on roads, bridges and raiways?
Most countries are not spending more than 3% of their GDP on infrastructure every year as far as I know. Not for the stuff actually covered by this at least.
It might be a net decrease in defence spending for some countries, but then there’s the argument that infrastructure spending is indeed defence spending.