MILAN -- Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, said Tuesday that the Channel Bridge construction project linking Sicily to Calabria would create 100,000 jobs and tighten links between the two regions, moving towards his vision of Italy as a "gigabyte society."

 After having decided on a constitutional referendum date, Renzi’s electoral campaign could properly kick off and he did so with a seemingly Berlusconian challenge -- the promise of the construction of the long-mooted bridge over the Messina channel that would tighten the links between Sicily and Calabria.

 Renzi calculated that the bridge over the Messina channel "could create 100,000 jobs," and said that it would act as a natural continuation of the Naples-Palermo bridge.

  “This project would take Calabria out of isolation and bring Sicily closer to the mainland, making Italy a fast and efficient gigabyte society,” said Renzi. “What I ask is, once the reforms to our country are through, that we may turn to the planning of our future.”

 “My challenge is a positive one,” continued the Prime Minister. “I see those who say that Italy is finished, but I think that the task of a politician is to indicate a direction -- this continuous negative narrative that Italy cannot manage to compete on an international scale is proven wrong by the women and men of this enterprise.” 

 The prime minister finally committed to its construction after nearly two years of “ifs” and “buts” related to southern infrastructure and other basic pending needs. Considering its context, the decision is clearly very politically tactical, as he hastened to add to the press that he would want to pass initial legal requests within three months.

 The head of the Democratic Party announced his decision Tuesday in Milan at a celebration of the Italian construction giant, Salini-Impregilo’s 110-year anniversary, as it is this company that would carry out the project.

 nkd