Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ROME3758
2005-01-14 17:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

GOI: FRENCH-STYLE RIOTS NOT SHORT TERM ISSUE

Tags:  PGOV PREF PREL PTER IT ITALIAN POLITICS 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003758 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREF PREL PTER IT ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: GOI: FRENCH-STYLE RIOTS NOT SHORT TERM ISSUE

REF: A. ROME 3137

B. ROME 3179

C. ROME 3204

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David Pearce for reasons
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003758

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREF PREL PTER IT ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: GOI: FRENCH-STYLE RIOTS NOT SHORT TERM ISSUE

REF: A. ROME 3137

B. ROME 3179

C. ROME 3204

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David Pearce for reasons 1.
4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Italian politicians and the media have closely
followed the riots in France, inevitably asking the question
as to whether the Italian periphery could also burn. Ministry
of Interior Giuseppe Pisanu told the media November 13, "The
Italian peripheries are not comparable to the Parisian
banlieu," BUT "if we do not soon control illegal immigration
and properly administer legal immigration, we, too, will cry
because of revolts in the suburbs." Ministry of Interior
Under Secretary Alfredo Montavano told Pol M/C that Italy
does not face an immediate risk of a revolt in city suburbs.
He continued that immigration to Italy is a relatively new
phenomenon, and that Italy does not have large immigrant
ghettos like in France. Montavano added that Italy needs to
integrate its growing immigrant community in order to avoid
similar problems in the long term.


2. (C) Center-Left leader and candidate for Prime Minister
Romano Prodi sparked controversy when he told the press that
Italy was at an immediate risk of similar violence and called
Italy's periphery "the worst suburbs in Europe." Other
Center-Left politicians immediately distanced themselves from
Prodi's comments. Claudio Ligas, former spokesman for
Massimo D'Alema, told Poloff that Prodi's comment was a
"gaffe." He said Italy does not face an immediate threat of
rioting from unintegrated minorities, but criticized the
government for not doing more to integrate Italy's immigrants.


3. (C) COMMENT: Immigration to Italy is relatively new, and
most immigrants are first and second generation. Though many
settle in the "periphery" of Italy's major urban centers,
Italian cities do not contain large and sprawling immigrant
ghettos, like in France. As noted in REFTELs, both Italy's
left and right are struggling to develop an approach to
integrating Italy's new arrivals. We agree that large-scale
riots among the immigrant community are not likely in the
near future, but are concerned that Muslim extremists could
find refuge in a growing and disaffected community. The
French riots have increased awareness of the importance of
developing a comprehensive policy for integrating Italy's
immigrants. END COMMENT.
SPOGLI