RUTELLI STILL "LEADER" OF ITALY,S CENTER-LEFT --

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000610 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2012 TAGS: PGOV IT ITPGOV ITALIAN POLITICS SUBJECT: RUTELLI STILL "LEADER" OF ITALY,S CENTER-LEFT -- BUT THE COALITION CANNOT HIDE ITS DISARRAY REF: 01 ROME 6496 CLASSIFIED BY: POLMILCOUNS GARY ROBBINS, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: AFTER PUBLIC SQUABBLING WHICH CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 00610 01 OF 02 071804Z UNDERSCORED THE DISARRAY IN ITALY'S CENTER LEFT, PRESIDENT OF THE DAISY ALLIANCE FRANCESCO RUTELLI REMAINS LEADER OF THE CENTER-LEFT OLIVE TREE COALITION, AT LEAST FOR NOW. THE COALITION EXPOSED ITS UNEASY PARTNERSHIP, HOWEVER, BY CREATING A BOARD COMPOSED OF ALL COALITION PARTY LEADERS TO OVERSEE RUTELLI. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) ON JANUARY 30, THE OLIVE TREE DIRECTORATE HELD A SIX-HOUR MEETING TO DISCUSS FRANCESCO RUTELLI'S ROLE AS LEADER OF THE CENTER-LEFT COALITION. RUTELLI HAD BEEN PUBLICLY CRITICIZED BY HIS "ALLIES" FOLLOWING SELECTION OF ITALY'S REPRESENTATIVES TO THE EU CONVENTION. THE TWO PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATIVES TO THE EU CONVENTION ARE NAMED BY THE PRESIDENTS OF THE TWO CHAMBERS. CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES PRESIDENT PIER FERDINANDO CASINI CHOSE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC CENTER-CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION (CCD-CDU) DEPUTY MARCO FOLLINI AND SENATE PRESIDENT MARCELLO PERA CHOSE ITALIAN RENEWAL (RI, PART OF THE DAISY ALLIANCE) SENATOR LAMBERTO DINI. DEMOCRATS OF THE LEFT (DS) PRESIDENT MASSIMO D'ALEMA WAS NOT SELECTED, AND DS MEMBERS ACCUSED RUTELLI OF REPRESENTING HIS OWN DAISY ALLIANCE BY FAVORING DINI OVER D'ALEMA, RATHER THAN CONSULTING WITH THE OLIVE TREE COALITION ON A COALITION REPRESENTATIVE. (ALTHOUGH THE TWO CHAMBER PRESIDENTS CHOOSE THE DELEGATES AUTONOMOUSLY, THERE IS USUALLY BACKSTAGE DISCUSSION ON PREFERENCES.) ¶3. (SBU) AT THE JANUARY 30 MEETING, RUTELLI WAS ALLOWED TO REMAIN LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION UNTIL THE OLIVE TREE'S CONVENTION IN THE FALL. COALITION MEMBERS MADE CLEAR, HOWEVER, THAT DURING THE DAISY CONGRESS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL, RUTELLI MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN REMAINING THE TITULAR LEADER OF CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 00610 01 OF 02 071804Z THE CENTER-LEFT OR PRESIDENT OF THE DAISY ALLIANCE. IT WAS ALSO DECIDED THAT A DIRECTORATE COMPOSED OF COALITION PARTY LEADERS WOULD REPLACE THE POSITION OF DEPUTY COALITION LEADER HELD BY DS SECRETARY PIERO FASSINO -- A CLEAR INDICATION THAT THE COALITION WANTED TO EXERT GREATER CONTROL OVER RUTELLI'S LEADERSHIP. ¶4. (U) SEVERAL DAYS LATER, ON FEBRUARY 2, THE OLIVE TREE COALITION ORGANIZED A RALLY TO DENOUNCE THE JUSTICE POLICIES OF THE BERLUSCONI GOVERNMENT. THE RALLY WAS MEANT TO RELAUNCH THE COALITION FOLLOWING THE LATEST DS-DAISY CRISIS. MOVIE DIRECTOR NANNI MORETTI (A FAMOUS DIRECTOR, LEFTIST INTELLECTUAL, WITH CLOSE TIES TO THE DS),INVITED TO ADDRESS THE RALLY, UNEXPECTEDLY ATTACKED OLIVE TREE LEADERS, FOCUSING HIS IRE MAINLY ON HIS ONE-TIME DS FRIENDS. MORETTI CHARGED THE GROUP WITH PUTTING TOGETHER A &USELESS GATHERING.8 ADDRESSING THE HAPLESS LEADERS, HE CONDEMNED THEM FOR DOING NOTHING RIGHT AND FAILING UTTERLY AT SELF-REFLECTION AND SELF-CRITICISM. &WITH SUCH LEADERS,8 MORETTI CONTINUED, &WE WILL NEVER WIN. IT WILL TAKE TWO OR THREE GENERATIONS TO BEAT BERLUSCONI.8 MORETTI'S STINGING DENUNCIATIONS RECEIVED WIDESPREAD MEDIA COVERAGE, RUBBING SALT IN THE LEFT'S (SELF-INFLICTED) WOUNDS. THE DS, SEEKING TO AVOID FURTHER PUBLIC DISPLAY OF DIRTY LAUNDRY, PROPOSED THAT MORETTI AND OTHER INTELLECTUALS COME TOGETHER TO GIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR A MORE QUALIFIED AND EFFICACIOUS OPPOSITION. A MEETING HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 22; THE DS'S PIERO FASSINO MET WITH MORETTI FEBRUARY 7 TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, THE CENTER-LEFT COALITION HAS REGISTERED MANY INTERNAL -) BUT NOT SO QUIET CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 00610 01 OF 02 071804Z -- DISPUTES. RUTELLI WAS NAMED LEADER OF THE OLIVE TREE COALITION AND FASSINO THE COALITION'S DEPUTY STRICTLY FOR CAMPAIGN PURPOSES. AFTER THE ELECTIONS, IT BECAME INCREASINGLY CLEAR (AND INCREASINGLY PUBLIC) THAT RUTELLI'S LEADERSHIP WAS LITTLE BUT A USEFUL ELECTORAL FICTION; HE PRESENTED HIMSELF AS LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, AND EVEN D'ALEMA, IN A COUPLE OF INTERVIEWS, GRACIOUSLY CONCEDED HIM THE TITLE. BUT EVIDENCE POINTED TO THE CONTRARY. DURING PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES AND VOTES, RUTELLI THEORETICALLY SPOKE FOR THE OLIVE TREE -- WHILE THE DS SPOKE FOR ITSELF. IN EVEN THE SYMBOLIC, IF IMPORTANT, ACT OF EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES TO OUR THEN-CHARGE AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, WE SAW EVIDENCE OF SHARP ELBOWS BETWEEN RUTELLI AND D,ALEMA, WITH EACH EVENTUALLY COMING TO THE EMBASSY SEPARATELY TO EXPRESS SYMPATHY AND SUPPORT. ¶6. (C) COMMENT, CONTINUED: THE CENTER-LEFT KNOWS IT HAS A PROBLEM ON ITS HANDS. SUGGESTING IT FACES POLITICAL EXTINCTION IS CERTAINLY OVERSTATING THE POINT, BUT THE COALITION AND ITS MEMBER PARTIES STAND LITTLE CHANCE OF BEING MORE THAN A NATTERING CROWD ON THE EDGE OF ITALIAN POLITICS UNLESS THEY CAN PULL TOGETHER. IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS MAKE IT UNLIKELY THAT THEY WILL FIND THAT MAGICAL MEETING POINT FOR A MUTUAL PROGRAM, AND MORE CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ7764 PAGE 01 ROME 00610 02 OF 02 071804Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SNIS-00 NISC-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /007W -------------- 639C7B 071805Z /38 P 071741Z FEB 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2019 INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE AMCONSUL FLORENCE AMCONSUL MILAN AMCONSUL NAPLES C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 000610 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2012 TAGS: PGOV IT ITPGOV ITALIAN POLITICS SUBJECT: RUTELLI STILL "LEADER" OF ITALY,S CENTER-LEFT -- BUT THE COALITION CANNOT HIDE ITS DISARRAY IMPORTANTLY, NONE OF THE PARTIES IS WILLING TO GIVE UP ASPIRATIONS OF NATIONAL LEADERSHIP. FOR NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THE CENTER-LEFT WILL CONTINUE IN ITS LARGELY SELF-IMPOSED POLITICAL EXILE. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 00610 02 OF 02 071804Z CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME00610 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL