Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ROME241
2002-01-15 17:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

BERLUSCONI,S FOREIGN POLICY ADDRESS: ITALY REMAINS

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM ECON EU IT ITALIAN POLITICS 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000241 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2012
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON EU PREL PHUM ECON EU IT ITPGOV ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: BERLUSCONI,S FOREIGN POLICY ADDRESS: ITALY REMAINS
STRONGLY IN EUROPE, BUT THINKS OF NATIONAL INTERESTS


CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE WILLIAM P. POPE, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 00241 01 OF 02 151734Z

SUMMARY
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000241

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2012
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON EU PREL PHUM ECON EU IT ITPGOV ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: BERLUSCONI,S FOREIGN POLICY ADDRESS: ITALY REMAINS
STRONGLY IN EUROPE, BUT THINKS OF NATIONAL INTERESTS


CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE WILLIAM P. POPE, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 00241 01 OF 02 151734Z

SUMMARY
--------------

1. (C) IN HIS JANUARY 14 FOREIGN POLICY SPEECH BEFORE
PARLIAMENT, PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI AGAIN EMPHASIZED
ITALY'S SOLID SUPPORT FOR AND COMMITMENT TO REMAIN WITHIN
EUROPE. HE COMMENDED THE EURO AND REAFFIRMED THAT ITALY'S
FOREIGN POLICY WOULD NOT EXPERIENCE A SEA CHANGE DURING HIS
TIME AT THE HELM AT THE MFA. THE MFA ITSELF, HE SAID, WOULD
BE "REFORMED," INCLUDING TO BETTER REPRESENT ITALIAN ECONOMIC
AND COMMERCIAL INTERESTS. BERLUSCONI GAVE NO HINT OF WHO
MIGHT BE APPOINTED ITALY'S NEXT FOREIGN MINISTER, BUT SAID HE
WOULD HOLD THE REINS HIMSELF AS LONG AS NECESSARY. THE
OPPOSITION, PREDICTABLY, FOUND HIS SPEECH INSUFFICIENT.
WHICH FOREIGN POLICY WILL ITALY FOLLOW, THE DS' FASSINO ASKED
RHETORICALLY? WE CONTINUE TO SEE THIS AS AN INTERNAL DEBATE,
WITH THE OPPOSITION SEEKING TO MAKE POLITICAL HAY OVER AN
ACTION THAT RESULTED FROM A CLASH OF PERSONALITIES.
BERLUSCONI IS NOT/NOT SEEKING TO DIVORCE ITALY FROM EUROPE.
END SUMMARY.

"ITALY VS. EUROPE" -- WHERE'S THE BEEF?
--------------

2. (U) BERLUSCONI CHARACTERIZED RECENT POLEMICS IN ITALY
AND ABROAD OVER THE GOI'S DEGREE OF EUROPEANISM AS "MUCH ADO
ABOUT NOTHING." HE SAID THE GOI'S COMMITMENT AND THAT OF ITS
GOVERNING MAJORITY IS TO "CHANGE ITALY, MODERNIZE THE STATE,
AND RE-LAUNCH THE ECONOMY," BUT ONLY BY "REMAINING FIRMLY
ANCHORED TO EUROPE." HE SAID THE "EURO WORKS; THIS IS A GOOD
AND INDISPUTABLE TRUTH."

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PAGE 03 ROME 00241 01 OF 02 151734Z

3. (U) WHAT REMAINS, THE PRIME MINISTER CONTINUED, IS FOR
EUROPE TO WORK TOWARD POLITICAL INTEGRATION. SUCH A PROCESS

IS LONG AND INVOLVED; IT IS NOT "A BOOK THAT IS ALREADY
WRITTEN BY AN UNKNOWN AUTHOR, NOR A MANUAL OF PROVISIONS AND
DOGMA THAT MUST BE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT DISCUSSION."
POLITICAL INTEGRATION WILL RISE FROM THE COLLECTIVE WORK OF
THE EU'S ELECTED INSTITUTIONS, NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS, AND
GOVERNMENTS, WITH THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE EU COMMISSION, THE
EU CONVENTION, AND ALL SECTORS OF SOCIETY, INCLUDING CULTURE,
LAW, BUSINESS, DIPLOMACY, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND RELIGIOUS
INSTITUTIONS.


4. (U) ON THE "PLAN OF ACTION" FOR A POLITICALLY INTEGRATED
EUROPE, BERLUSCONI SAID THE ITALIAN DEBATE IS OPEN AND
INVITED THE OPPOSITION TO JOIN IT, IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW EUROPE AND DETERMINE ITALY'S ROLE
THEREIN. HE SAID THE GOI WOULD APPOINT ITS DELEGATES TO THE
EU CONVENTION BY THE END OF JANUARY. HE SAID HE COULD NOT
PREDICT THE OUTCOME OF THEIR WORK, BECAUSE SEVERAL DECISIVE
ISSUES REMAIN OPEN AND ARE STILL BEING DEBATED BY MANY
COUNTRIES AND GOVERNMENTS. LISTING SOME, HE MENTIONED FULL
LIBERALIZATION OF THE ENERGY SECTOR, THE REFORM OF THE LABOR
MARKET AND OF WELFARE, AGRICULTURE POLICIES, THE
HARMONIZATION OF TAX LAWS, SUPRA-NATIONAL RULES FOR CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE, A COMMON FOREIGN POLICY, AND A COMMON DEFENSE
POLICY WITHIN NATO. HE STRESSED THAT THE GOI "WILL WORK
TOWARD POLITICAL INTEGRATION BASED ON THE WIDEST POSSIBLE
BASIS OF CONSENT AND LEGITIMIZATION," BECAUSE "NO EUROPEAN
SOVEREIGNTY CAN BE ESTABLISHED WITHOUT FULL-FLEDGED EUROPEAN
CITIZENSHIP." WITH THIS IN MIND, HE NOTED THE NEED FOR THE
"ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY SYNERGY BETWEEN SUPRA-NATIONAL ISSUES
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PAGE 04 ROME 00241 01 OF 02 151734Z
AND INTRA-GOVERNMENTAL ISSUES" IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
EUROPEAN UNIFICATION. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE GOI WOULD
"CONTINUE TO WORK AGAINST ALL VISIONS OF CENTRALIZED
BUREAUCRACY."


5. (U) BERLUSCONI ALSO NOTED THAT THE SYSTEM OF "ENHANCED
COOPERATION" WITHIN EUROPE WORKS, BUT ARGUED THAT IT
ABSOLUTELY MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE NEEDS OF NATIONS
THAT HAVE REMAINED OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION AND WILL JOIN
IN THE FUTURE. HE UNDERSCORED THAT "DIRECTORATES" ARE A
"CLAMOROUS STRATEGIC MISTAKE," AND REMARKED THAT "ITALY WILL
KNOW HOW TO MAKE ITSELF HEARD TO PROTECT ITS NATIONAL
INTERESTS ALONGSIDE THE COMMON INTERESTS OF A SPEEDY AND
EFFICIENT -- ALBEIT SOLIDLY LEGITIMIZED -) INTEGRATION." HE
ADVOCATED ITALY'S HISTORIC AND SOLID EUROPEANIST TRADITION
AND ITS "CONVICTION" THAT EUROPE'S FOUNDATIONS "WERE NOT BORN
OUT OF POLITICS, BUT OUT OF CHRISTIANITY THAT FUSED HELLENISM
AND ROMAN CIVILIZATION." RECALLING ITALY'S FORMER PM AND FM
ALCIDE DE GASPERI (1881-1954),ONE OF THE EU'S FOUNDING
FATHERS, BERLUSCONI ARGUED THAT EUROPE IS "PHENOMENON OF
CIVIL UNITY: A RELIGIOUS, CULTURAL, AND CIVIL UNITY THAT
UNITED POPULATIONS ON THIS SIDE AND THAT OF THE ATLANTIC
OCEAN UNDER THE NAME OF WEST."

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PTQ4668

PAGE 01 ROME 00241 02 OF 02 151740Z
ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 CTME-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00
EXIM-01 E-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00
IO-00 ITC-01 L-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
SNIS-00 NISC-00 PMB-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00
/010W
-------------- 58168B 151740Z /75
O 151707Z JAN 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1689
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE
AMCONSUL FLORENCE
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMCONSUL NAPLES
NSC WASHDC
SECDEF WASHDC
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 000241

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2012
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON EU PREL PHUM ECON EU IT ITPGOV ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: BERLUSCONI,S FOREIGN POLICY ADDRESS: ITALY REMAINS
STRONGLY IN EUROPE, BUT THINKS OF NATIONAL INTERESTS

RUGGIERO'S DEPARTURE FOR "PERSONAL REASONS"
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PAGE 02 ROME 00241 02 OF 02 151740Z
--------------

6. (SBU) ON RUGGIERO'S RECENT "RESIGNATION" (SIC) AS FM,
BERLUSCONI REMARKED THAT, IN ACCEPTING THE TENURE AT THE MFA,
RUGGIERO HAD STATED HIS INTENTION TO GIVE HIMSELF A DEADLINE,
FOR PERSONAL REASONS. (THE OPPOSITION BOOED BERLUSCONI'S
REFERENCE TO RUGGIERO'S DEPARTURE FOR "PERSONAL REASONS.")
BERLUSCONI THANKED RUGGIERO FOR HIS LOYALTY WHILE IN
GOVERNMENT. HE ADDED THAT HE WOULD FILL IN FOR RUGGIERO
"WITH DEDICATION AND ENTHUSIASM" FOR THE LENGTH OF TIME
NECESSARY TO "RE-ORIENT" THE MFA'S WAY OF WORKING. "WE MUST
KNOW HOW TO SELL THE PRODUCT OF OUR TALENT WITHOUT ANY
COMPLEXES... WE MUST BE ON THE MARKET WITH ALL OF ITALY'S
FORCE AND ITS POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL WEIGHT."
BERLUSCONI ADDED THAT HE DID NOT INTEND TO DECIMATE THE MFA
OR OVERHAUL IT COMPLETELY.

OPPOSITION: "WHICH EUROPEAN POLICY IS ITALY'S?"
-------------- ---

7. (SBU) THE CENTER-LEFT REACTED PREDICTABLY TO PM
BERLUSCONI'S SPEECH: REGARDLESS OF HIS WORDS, THEY DECLARED
&EUROSCEPTICISM8 THE CAUSE OF RUGGIERO,S DISMISSAL AND
BERLUSCONI,S ASSUMPTION OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY. DEMOCRATS
OF THE LEFT (DS) LEADER PIERO FASSINO CHARACTERIZED
BERLUSCONI,S DECLARATIONS AND COMMITMENTS TO EUROPE AS
VAGUE, FOLLOWED BY TOO MANY 'IFS' AND 'BUTS'. HE ADDED THAT
THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT IDEAS IN THE GOVERNMENT: ONE THAT
SEES EUROPE AS A NECESSARY EVIL FROM WHICH TO DEFEND ONESELF
AND LIMIT DAMAGES, AND THE OTHER, RUGGIERO'S LINE, DECIDEDLY
PRO-EUROPE. FASSINO SAID BERLUSCONI FAILED TO EXPLAIN WHICH
EUROPEAN POLICY THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO DEVELOP OVER THE
NEXT FEW MONTHS. DAISY PARTY LEADER FRANCESCO RUTELLI
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PAGE 03 ROME 00241 02 OF 02 151740Z
CHARGED THAT, WITH HIS SPEECH, BERLUSCONI STEPPED OUT OF THE
PRO-EUROPEAN FURROW PLOWED BY ITALY OVER HALF A CENTURY. HE
CONTINUED THAT THE GOVERNMENT CHOSE A BAD MOMENT TO LAUNCH A
EUROSCEPTICAL OFFENSIVE WHICH WOULD DAMAGE ITALY'S NATIONAL
INTEREST COMING ON TOP OF A SERIES OF POLEMICS, FROM THE
EUROPEAN ARREST WARRANT, TO DECISIONS ON THE AIRBUS, TO
LOCATIONS FOR EU COMMITTEES. FINALLY, MASSIMO D'ALEMA, DS
PRESIDENT AND FORMER PM, DISMISSED THE PRIME MINISTER'S
SPEECH AS "POINTLESS PROVOCATION" WHICH OFFERED NO
EXPLANATION FOR RUGGIERO'S RESIGNATION.


8. (SBU) IN HIS SPEECH, FASSINO MADE REFERENCE TO
STATEMENTS BY DEFENSE MINISTER ANTONIO MARTINO AND JUSTICE
MINISTER ROBERTO CASTELLI THAT SUGGEST ANY MAGISTRATE IN ANY
COUNTRY COULD WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND DECIDE TO ARREST ANYONE
HE PLEASES. FASSINO RECALLED THIS WAS SPARKED BY THE LAW ON
ROGATORIES. FASSINO ENDED BY SAYING THAT &THE OPPOSITION
WILL TAKE ACTION, IF THIS GOVERNMENT DOESN'T, TO KEEP ITALY
IN EUROPE."

COMMENT
--------------

9. (C) UPON READING A COMPLETE TEXT OF BERLUSCONI'S SPEECH,
THERE IS LITTLE TO JUSTIFY THE ALLEGATIONS OF ITALY'S
CENTER-LEFT OPPOSITION. THEY ARE, IN SHORT, DOING WHAT IS
NORMAL IN POLITICS -- SEEKING AN ELECTORAL AND POPULAR
ADVANTAGE. AS NOTED, INTER ALIA, IN THE JANUARY 15 NEW YORK
TIMES ARTICLE "BERLUSCONI SAYS ITALY WON'T TAKE EUROPE'S
ORDERS," ITALIANS ARE STRONGLY PRO-EUROPE. THEY ARE ALSO BY
AND LARGE PRO-BERLUSCONI, SOMETHING THE OPPOSITION CLEARLY
WANTS TO CHANGE. WHAT WE FIND MORE DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN IS
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PAGE 04 ROME 00241 02 OF 02 151740Z
THE OVERWHELMING TENOR OF THE MEDIA HEADLINES (NOT ONLY IN
ITALY) WHICH, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY SIT ATOP LARGELY
ACCURATE ARTICLES, INVARIABLY REFLECT THE TONE AND TENOR OF
ITALY'S OPPOSITION.


10. (C) BERLUSCONI IS FLAGGING ISSUES NOT UNFAMILIAR, FROM
OUR UNDERSTANDING HERE, TO BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER TONY
BLAIR OR TO OUR OWN PRESIDENT. THE QUESTIONS HE RAISES ARE
ONES THAT THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL INDEED HAVE TO TACKLE AS IT
WRESTLES WITH ITS DEVELOPMENT AND THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
AND SEEKS TO COME TO GRIPS WITH ITS "DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT."
PROMOTION OF NATIONAL INTERESTS IS NOT TANTAMOUNT TO
BETRAYING INSTITUTIONS OF WHICH A NATION IS A MEMBER, OR IN
THIS CASE, DOES NOT EQUATE TO BEING "ANTI-EUROPE." WE REMAIN
CONVINCED THAT THE "ITALY VS. EUROPE"DEBATE IS LITTLE BUT
SMOKE AND MIRRORS. ITALY'SFOREIGN POLICY HAS NOT CHANGED
WITH THE DEPARTUR OF RUGGIERO AND BERLUSCONI'S
AUTO-APPOINTMENT A FOREIGN MINISTER. WHAT WE ARE WATCHING
IS A DOMSTIC SPAT BETWEEN SITTING GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITIO,
SPARKED BY THE OUTSPOKEN AND FRANKLY INSUBORDIATE BEHAVIOR
OF AN OUTSIDER CABINET MEMBER.
POE

CONFIDENTIAL

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2002ROME00241 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL