Italy finds $16 billion loophole to hit Trumps 5% defense spending pledge: A bridge to Sicily

Italy’s got a plan to beef up its defense spending to 5% of GDP.And if you believe that, they’ve got a bridge in Sicily to sell you.

Italy said it will meet President Trump’s new demands on NATO members to spend much more on defense.But there’s a $16 billion catch, according to Politico.The country could reclassify a proposal for the world’s longest suspension bridge as national security expenditure, the news outlet reported.Rome has one of the smallest military budgets within the alliance by percentage — with only 1.49% of GDP going to its military each year.That amounted to about $34 billion in 2024, less than 4% of the US military budget.

That means the country faces a massive uphill climb to boost its military spending to meet the US-demanded target of 5% by 2035.Now, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has come up with a novel way to increase defense spending, by redefining a planned new bridge to Sicily as military expenditure.The proposed crossing over the Strait of Messina which, at more than two miles long, has been a dream of leaders in Rome dating back to the ancient Roman emperors.However, the many challenges facing such an undertaking — including the massive cost — has put the project on hold for decades.Italian authorities now claim that the bridge has strategic value to NATO, rather than just an economic role, as laid out in a government report in April.“The bridge over the Strait of Messina also has strategic importance for national and international security, so much so that it will play a key role in defense and security, facilitating the movement of Italian armed forces and NATO allies,” a report stated.Italy’s loophole might also be totally allowable under NATO rules.Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post’s signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between.Subscribe here!Of the 5% GDP NATO target, only 3.5% must be on core defense spe...