US embassy cable - 02ROME610

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 
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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 
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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 
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-- 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 
 
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                           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 
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 
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 2002ROME00610 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL