“I am not aware of any assessments that identify the Messina Strait [Bridge] as a critical infrastructure gap for NATO’s deterrence and defense, or for the EU’s security,” said Simon Van Hoeymissen, a researcher at the Brussels-based Royal Higher Institute for Defense, warning the scheme would have to make sense under NATO’s broader mission.

On the one hand, I agree that this is bullshit and fudging the books. On the other hand, I can already imagine how this argument is gonna go.

“A bridge to Sicily has zilch by way of military utility! You’re just doing civilian infrastructure projects and counting it towards the military budget!”

Italian government: “When was the last time Europe was invaded? It was through Sicily, the “soft underbelly of Europe”, yeeeesssss?” proceeds to cite Churchill, Eisenhower, Stalin…

Narrator: but it was a fiction