Government without FPÖ: This is what Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Salvini says

Italy's Minister of Transport and head of the right-wing ruling party Lega, Matteo Salvini, considers a new government in Austria excluding the FPÖ as a "mistake". "Excluding the strongest single party of a country from the government is, in my opinion, a mistake. I do not want to interfere in Austria's internal affairs. However, I hope that there will soon be a government in Vienna because we have several bilateral issues on the table," said Salvini.

Salvini: "Arrogant Attitude"

Among the open dossiers between Italy and Austria is the dispute over the Tyrolean anti-transit measures on the Brenner route. Italy filed a lawsuit against this at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) last year. Salvini stated on Wednesday in a conversation with foreign journalists in Rome that he hopes for a ruling before the summer. "I hope that a ruling from the ECJ will come as soon as possible. This is about Austria's unfair competition against Italian and German hauliers and companies. This is an arrogant attitude on the part of Austria, which disregards the principle of free movement of goods in Europe," argued Salvini, who is also Deputy Prime Minister in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, once again. Austria and Tyrol have always defended the "emergency measures" in the fight against the excessive transit traffic over the Brenner.

Meanwhile, Salvini places great hopes in the Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT), which is currently under construction and is 55 kilometers long. It is expected to be operational in 2032. The Brenner Base Tunnel is a crucial project for all of Europe. "Trains will travel under the Alps at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour. Franzensfeste will be connected to Innsbruck in 25 minutes," said the Italian Minister of Transport.

(APA/Red)

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