CARTOON-WEARING MINISTER RESIGNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000536

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PHUM KISL IT ITALIAN POLITICS ITALY NATIONAL ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: CARTOON-WEARING MINISTER RESIGNS

REF: (A) TRIPOLI 58 (B) TRIPOLI 55 (C) ROME 460

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David D. Pearce,
for reasons 1.5 (b)(d)


1. (C) Summary. Italy's Reforms Minister resigned
February 18 following violent protests against the Italian
consulate in Benghazi. The minister, Roberto Calderoli
of the Northern League, had won notoriety for wearing
T-shirts emblazoned with cartoons that had triggered
protests in Islamic countries. PM Berlusconi reportedly
will not fill Calderoli's position before April elections.
Meanwhile, seventy Italians were evacuated from Libya.
Berlusconi called Qaddafi and the two agreed the incident
was serious but should not disrupt bilateral relations.
Emergency intra-party talks on the center-right concluded
that Calderoli's resignation would not undermine the
Northern League's position within the ruling coalition.
In fact, the Northern League won Berlusconi's support
for a five-point electoral program that included key
pro-Christian and anti-immigrant planks of the League's
platform. Growing concern about attacks on Christians is
feeding the center-right's family/Italian values campaign.
Rome magistrates are investigating Calderoli for violating
laws that prohibit expressing contempt for religion.
But the minister's publicity stunt probably earned both
votes and support for the Northern League's anti-immigrant,
particularly anti-Muslim, policies. End summary.


2. (U) Following violent demonstrations February 17
against the Italian consulate in Benghazi (Refs A and B)
which resulted in at least 11 deaths, Northern League party
Minister for Reforms Roberto Calderoli conceded to pressure
and tendered his resignation February 18. Italy evacuated
70 citizens from Libya over the weekend, although FM Fini
is quoted as suggesting the demonstrations were sparked
more by domestic opposition to Qaddafi than by the
cartoons. PM Berlusconi called Qaddafi February 18 to
confirm the GOI considered the attack on the consulate
serious but said that the incident would not disrupt
bilateral relations. Qaddafi reportedly offered guarantees
that Libya would continue to provide Italy with natural gas
supplies. The MFA continues to carefully monitor reaction
to the cartoons in Islamic countries.

League Wins Support
--------------


3. (C) Berlusconi announced that he will not fill
Calderoli's position before the April elections. However,
Calderoli's actions led to an emergency meeting of the
center-right that confirmed the resignation will not
undermine the Northern League's position in the ruling
coalition. In fact, the League won support from Berlsuconi
for its five-point electoral platform. The planks include:
a defense of Italy's Christian roots; "fiscal federalism"
that translates into the ability of regions to collect
taxes on their own; pro-family policies to include tax
benefits for having children and recognition for only
heterosexual marriages; immigration policy aimed against
"clandestini" (illegals) and legal immigration under quotas,
but only for countries that reflect Italian "cultural"
values;
and, a promise to support the upcoming referendum on
devolution (not all members of the coalition share the
League's passion on this topic).

Mixed Messages
--------------


4. (U) Rome magistrates announced they will open an
investigation of whether Calderoli violated laws that
prohibit expressing contempt for religion. Berlusconi was
quoted in the weekend papers as being concerned that the
Calderoli incident not alienate moderate Muslims, and Fini
paid a surprise visit to the Rome mosque. The Minister of
Interior's Muslim Consultative Council has condemned the
cartoons but called for only peaceful, legal demonstrations
against them. Pope Benedict has publicly called for an end
to the violent reactions to the cartoons.


5. (C) On the other hand, the T-shirt debacle, combined
with press coverage of global attacks on priests and
Christian churches, is fueling a growing public and private
chorus of concern about defending Christianity from Islam.
The murder of an Italian priest in Turkey and reported
attacks against churches and Christians in Nigeria and
Libya has increased public concerns. Senate President Pera
warned that "if we genuflect to them, we are lost."
Editorials are questioning the limits of tolerance and
wondering if Italy should stop succumbing to the Stockholm
syndrome of defending its captors. This drumbeat also
coincides neatly with the center-right's family
values/Italian identity electoral campaign. And Calderoli
certainly calculated the effect of his publicity stunt,
which was designed both to attract votes and bolster his
position within the Northern League party. Since Umberto
Bossi's stroke in 2004, there has been a growing power
struggle over leadership of the League.


6. (C) Comment: The Calderoli affair has spurred public
debate over defending Christian identity and values.
Inevitably, the discussion has also tied in immigration
policy. And while Calderoli may have stepped down from
government, his actions probably earned both votes
and support for the Northern League's anti-immigrant,
and particularly anti-Muslim, policies.
SPOGLI