2022/12/15 by Filippo Menga, Menga, Filippo
Social Sciences · #Cambodian History and Society #Italy #Peacebuilding and International Security #Political Conflict and Governance #Tajikistan #mega projects #symbolism
paper · doi:10.58036/stss.v10i1.350
openalex publication_date 2025/09/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03
Megaprojects, with their sheer size and their physical and emotional impact, can emerge as central elements around which political elites construct an ideology. Following a comparison of the narratives surrounding the Strait of Messina Bridge in Italy and the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan, I find that similar narratives appear in arguments for mega projects across different regime types, as advocates portray large infrastructure as a panacea for varied problems and thus justify the significant investment such projects require. Politicians in both Italy and Tajikistan have embraced images of heroic progress toward a better future to frame megaprojects as inevitable signs of progress and national well-being.