ITALY: PRESIDENT LEONE MEETS WITH POLITICAL LEADERS TO TRY AND SOLVE GOVERNMENT CRISIS AND PREVENT EARLY GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Record ID: 443225

  • Title: ITALY: PRESIDENT LEONE MEETS WITH POLITICAL LEADERS TO TRY AND SOLVE GOVERNMENT CRISIS AND PREVENT EARLY GENERAL ELECTIONS.
  • Date: 13th January 1976
  • Summary: 1. GV EXT. Presidential Palace. 0.06 2. SV Fanfani walking past press. 0.21 3. SV Saragat entering room and speaking in Italian. 0.58 4. GV Spagnoli entering room speaking and leaving. 1.49 The Presidential Palace in Rome...where talks between Italian President Giovanni Leone and political leaders opened on Monday. Amintore Fanf
  • Embargoed: 28th January 1976 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA29G498LFLHZXP0V3TYLRFDDY3
  • Story Text: Italian President Giovanni Leone opened talks with political leaders in Rome on Monday (12 January) to try and solve the present Government's crisis and prevent premature general elections.

    The Italian Socialist Party caused the crisis last Wednesday (7 January) when it withheld parliamentary support for the ruling coalition...insisting on a government open to formal support from the Communist opposition.

    President Leone's discussions will last two day and observers believe he will ask outgoing Prime Minister Aldo Moro to form a new Government.

    There have been a series of party meetings and informal contacts between politicians since last Wednesday. It's believed that whoever is given the task of forming Italy's 68th post-Fascist government, will be asked to attempt a four-party centre-left coalition of Christian Democrats, Socialists, Social Democrats and Republicans.

    The Christian and Social Democrats have already announced their preference for such a step, but so far the Socialists are still against any moves that exclude the Communists.

    The Socialists' 61 seats in the Chamber of Deputies are vital to any majority the ruling Christian Democrats may want to form, and if no acceptable solution can be found in the near future early general elections look inevitable.

    Monday's meeting with President Leone was attended by the President of the Senate, Amintore Fanfani, former Italian President Giuseppe Saragat, and former Senate President, Signor Spagholi.
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