The Italian mainstream media’s position that all the French agree on the Torino-Lyon TAV project is going to suffer a great shock after “Le Figaro”
publishes an article in which the author states that the French government is going to re-examine and possibly even suspend or revoke 10 high-speed train projects, including Torino-Lyon. Jerome Cahuzac, France’s Budget Minister, said that there is no financing for the lines, so “the government has no other choice than to renounce to some of the options”. The French-Italian line is considered by “Le Figaro” to be the second most-likely cut, after the Nice-Marseille one.
In the meantime, the Notav movement continues its protest: a Notav campout in Chiomonte began on June 15, and is going to last for the whole summer, with many initiatives planned, both cultural and of protest.
On the judicial front, the first round of trials against two Notav activists (photo on the right) has ended, with one of them having been acquitted on all charges, and the other on most charges, but sentenced to 8 months for “aiding somebody in resisting arrest”.
Sources
text [fr] Le Figarò – L’État va renoncer à des projets de lignes TGV
text [en] Reuters – Cash-strapped France may halt high-speed train expansion
text [en] International Volountary Projects – NoTAV camping
text [it] lavallecheresiste.info – Sentence for two Notav activists
Struggles in Italy 