CIA MEMORANDUM ON THE ITALIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-17-2-18-1
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: November 8, 2010
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: September 25, 1971
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/11/08: LOC-HAK-17-2-18-1 roll
4T
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
Io LMORANDUM FOR: HENRY A. KISSINGER
Fp.O : TON1 LATMILR
SUBJECT: CIA P,r1E1 ORAI':DUM ON THL ITALIAN
PRESID> NTIAL, #,L, ..CTICN
p,4~r your request, ''4roctor Helm has sent you ea memorandum,
prepared by the Office of National "'stlma.tes, on the upcoming
Italian presidential election. He has also returned the P unidentified
report' which you gave to him. (Tab A).
The CIA meu o notes that it is not now possible to predict who will
beblected President of Italy this year but it dots state categorically
that there is no chance that either the communist or fascist parties
will feet that they can make a serious bid.
-- -"ill the current frontrunners--Fanfani, looro and Saragat--
will need the support of one or more of the opposition parties,
including the communists. but none of them would be likely to
use the office of the presidency to work for drastic changes
in either foreign or domestic policy.
-- The parliamentary elections to be held to they spring of 1973
will have a far greater impact on Italian politics and policies than
they presidential election of this year.
-- There is no evidence that the opposition parties have derived
any tangible advantage or reward for their s%ipport of successful
presidential candidates in past presidential elections.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/11/08: LOC-HAK-17-2-18-1
September 25, 1971
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/11/08: LOC-HAK-17-2-18-1
8 ?CRET 11N "OR N e Page 2
-- The unexpected success of the still small neo-fascist party
in the limited local elections last June has raised the possibility
of a slowdown or halt in the leftward drift of Italian politics
but in this context, the presidential election is simply an episode
rather than a pivotal event. The real sign will be the results of
the 1973 general elections.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/11/08: LOC-HAK-17-2-18-1