Yesterday, Matteo Salvini decided not to attend the inauguration of the new bus terminal in Piazza dei Cinquecento, in front of Termini Station. Then, in the evening, a new technical failure at Termini Station caused a halt in train circulation for several minutes, leaving tourists and travelers infuriated by the new delays.
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Matteo Salvini decided not to attend the inauguration of the new bus terminal in Piazza dei Cinquecento yesterday, in front of Termini Station. A “gigantic” work, as Rome’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri described it, completed ahead of schedule and one of the most important construction sites for the 2025 Jubilee. The absence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, however, did not go unnoticed, especially since Salvini has often been in the front row at inaugurations and ribbon-cutting ceremonies related to Jubilee construction sites.
“Why was Minister Salvini absent this morning? What I can say is that the Ministry of Infrastructure in all its articulations has given and is giving a decisive contribution to the realization of the Jubilee works and the Government, albeit improperly, is represented by me,” said Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano. Salvini, in the afternoon, issued a statement expressing “great satisfaction for the completion of the first phase of works that have renovated the look of Piazza dei Cinquecento, in front of Termini Station in Rome, with an expenditure of 18 million euros financed by the MIT.”
According to Salvini, as stated in the press release issued by the Lega leader, “this is a significant intervention both to requalify what is the calling card for those arriving in the Capital, but also a sign of attention to an area that cannot be left to degradation.”
Jubilee, here is Piazza dei Cinquecento: bus terminal inaugurated at Termini, but Salvini doesn’t show up
But why was he not present at the inauguration? According to many, the reason is linked to the breakdowns and disruptions in circulation recorded in recent days, and on which the minister may not have wanted to answer the questions of the journalists present at Termini. The problem for Salvini is that the situation took a turn for the worse in the evening: a breakdown at Rome Termini station due to the disconnection of the systems managing circulation, with circulation suspended for several minutes and travelers infuriated by the latest technical problem and the delays of trains arriving and departing from the Capital.
Italia Viva has launched a petition to demand Salvini’s resignation: “The national railway network is now in shambles.” The Secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, attacked: “What are President Meloni and Minister Salvini doing to stem the disaster they have created in public transport? With their management, they are paralyzing Italy, with devastating effects on the daily lives of citizens and incalculable damage to the country’s economy and tourism.” And the Vice President of the Transport Commission in the Chamber, the Democrat Andrea Casu, added: “It’s another black day for transport ending with a new breakdown in the electrical network in the Rome node, this is the situation now. If President Meloni and Minister Salvini do not want to report to the Chamber, they should at least go to Termini Station to see the damage they are causing to the country.”
Even the 5 Star Movement has called for the minister’s immediate resignation: “At Termini, circulation is suspended for technical checks: this is what is displayed on the Trenitalia website. It is the culmination of an indecent day on the railway transport front, now definitively collapsed in our country. The Roman station has become a ‘hub of imprecation’ for passengers: Salvini must understand that his tenure as Minister of Transport has reached the end of the line.
