120-598: Romano Prodi OMRI ( Italian: [roˈmaːno ˈprɔːdi] ; born 9 August 1939) is an Italian politician who served as President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004 and twice as Prime Minister of Italy , from 1996 to 1998, and again from 2006 to 2008. Prodi is considered the founder of the Italian centre-left and one of the most prominent figures of the Second Republic . He
240-631: A centre-left coalition majority instituted a commission to investigate the Mitrokhin Commission for allegations that it was manipulated for political purposes. In a December 2006 interview given to the television program La storia siamo noi , colonel ex-KGB agent Oleg Gordievsky, whom Scaramella claimed as his source, confirmed the accusations made against Scaramella regarding the production of false material relating to Prodi and other Italian politicians, and underlined their lack of reliability. Despite this, those claims were further repeated by
360-411: A hairdresser ; some polling stations were also provided outside the country for Italians abroad. Most of the party leaders claimed a result of 1 million voters would be a good success for the election, but over four million people for the occasion went to cast a vote in the primary election. After having won the centre-left primary election, Prodi led The Union coalition in the 2006 election . The Union
480-467: A symbolic candidate , to avoid a one-candidate election. After some time, more candidates were presented, like Union of Democrats for Europe leader Clemente Mastella , Italy of Values leader and former magistrate Antonio Di Pietro , Federation of the Greens leader Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio and others few minor candidates. The primary election may have been foreseen an easy win for Romano Prodi, with
600-479: A century. Prodi's economic programme consisted in continuing the past governments' work of restoration of the country's economic health, in order to pursue the then seemingly unreachable goal of leading the country within the strict European Monetary System parameters in order to allow the country to join the Euro currency. He succeeded in this in little more than six months. During his first premiership, Prodi faced
720-551: A democratic move to bring the public and its opinion closer to the Italian politics. When the primary elections were first proposed, they were mostly meant as a plebiscite for Romano Prodi, since there were no other candidates for the leadership of the coalition. The secretary of the Communist Refoundation Party, Fausto Bertinotti , then announced he would run for the leadership, even if only to act as
840-479: A fascist propaganda publication, but was also a member of the then-clandestine newspaper Il Popolo . In July 1943, Andreotti contributed, along with Mario Ferrari Aggradi, Paolo Emilio Taviani , Guido Gonella, Giuseppe Capogrossi , Ferruccio Pergolesi, Vittore Branca , Giorgio La Pira , Giuseppe Medici and Moro, to the creation of the Code of Camaldoli , a document planning of economic policy drawn up by members of
960-442: A form of preproduction censorship. It was intended that Italian studios use part of their profits for high-quality films; However, Vittorio De Sica 's Umberto D. , which depicted the lonely life of a retired man, could only strike government officials as a dangerous throwback, due to the opening scene featuring police breaking up a demonstration of old pensioners and the ending scene featuring Umberto's aborted suicide attempt. In
1080-678: A letter to Siemens from the Frankfurt office of Goldman Sachs regarding the Italdel deal, which revealed that Prodi was made the Senior Advisor of Goldman Sachs International in Italy in March 1990. In November 1996, after Prodi had been elected prime minister, Rome prosecutor Guiseppa Geremia concluded that there was enough evidence to press charges against Prodi for conflict of interest in
1200-586: A new government consisting of Christian Democrats, Socialists, Social Democrats, and Liberals. In 1990, Andreotti revealed the existence of the Operation Gladio ; Gladio was the codename for a clandestine North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) "stay-behind" operation in Italy during the Cold War . Its purpose was to prepare for and implement armed resistance in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion and conquest. Although Gladio specifically refers to
1320-544: A new government was formed. Prodi was the first left-leaning candidate to finish first in an Italian general election since 1921 . On 14 October 2007, Prodi became the founding president of the Democratic Party upon foundation of the party. On 12 September 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon selected Prodi as president of the African Union –United Nations peacekeeping panel. Since 2021, he
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#17327727520031440-402: A position he held until 1972. In 1972, with Andreotti's first term as prime minister began a period when he was often seen as the éminence grise of governments even when not premier. He remained in office in two consecutive centre-right cabinets in 1972 and 1973. His first cabinet failed in obtaining the confidence vote and he was forced to resign after only 9 days; this government has been
1560-619: A press campaign accusing Piero Piccioni , son of the deputy national secretary of the DC, Attilio Piccioni , of the murder of fashion model Wilma Montesi at Torvaianica . After the defeat of De Gasperi's old followers in the DC National Council, Andreotti helped another newly formed corrente , the Dorotei , to oust Amintore Fanfani, who was the leader of the left wing of the party, as Prime Minister of Italy and National Secretary of
1680-537: A proposal from the Italian People's Party (PPI) to run for the 1994 European election . On 13 February 1995 Prodi, along with his close friend Arturo Parisi , founded his political alliance The Olive Tree . Prodi's aim was to build a centre-left coalition composed by centrist and leftist parties, opposed to the centre-right alliance led by Silvio Berlusconi, who resigned from the office of prime minister few weeks before, when Lega Nord withdrew his support to
1800-465: A proposal to bring forward the so-called Historic Compromise , a political pact proposed by Moro which would see a government coalition between DC and PCI for the first time. Andreotti, known as a staunch anti-communist, was called in to lead the first experiment in that direction: his new cabinet, formed in July 1976, included only members of his own Christian Democratic party but had the indirect support of
1920-518: A protégé of Alcide De Gasperi , Andreotti achieved cabinet rank at a young age and occupied all the major offices of state over the course of a 40-year political career, being seen as a reassuring figure by the civil service, business community, and Vatican. Domestically, he contained inflation following the 1973 oil crisis , founded the National Healthcare Service ( Sistema Sanitario Nazionale ) and combated terrorism during
2040-451: A public letter to De Sica, Andreotti castigated him for his "wretched service to his fatherland". In 1952, ahead of local elections in the municipality of Rome, Andreotti gave proof of his diplomatic skills and gained credibility. Andreotti persuaded De Gasperi not to establish a political alliance with the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement , as Pope Pius XII asked, to prevent a Communist victory. As Secretary, Andreotti contributed to
2160-458: A result of the warning from Italy – a supposed ally of the US ;– Libya was better prepared for the bombing. Nevertheless, on the following day, Libya fired two Scuds at the Italian island of Lampedusa in retaliation. However, the missiles passed over the island, landed in the sea and caused no damage. As Craxi's relationship with the then-National Secretary of the DC, Ciriaco De Mita ,
2280-453: A rigorous overhaul of Italian public finances. Critics later questioned Andreotti's understanding of the obligation or whether he had ever intended to fulfil it. In 1992, at the end of the legislature, Andreotti resigned from premiership; he was the last Christian Democratic Prime Minister of Italy. The previous year, Cossiga had appointed him Senator for Life . Andreotti was one of the most likely candidates to succeed Cossiga as President of
2400-498: A social pension. A law of 30 June 1973 extended the cost of living indexation to the social pension. A devout Catholic, Andreotti was on close terms with six successive pontiffs. He occasionally gave the Vatican unsolicited advice and was often heeded. He updated the relationship of Roman Catholicism to the Italian state in an accord he presented to parliament. It put the country on a more secular basis: abolishing Roman Catholicism as
2520-645: A ten-year housing plan, with the state making funds available to regions for public housing and subsidies for private housing. As premier, Andeotti's urging of fellow leaders in the European Community was influential in the creation of an EU Regional Development Fund, which the south of Italy was to greatly benefit from. In 1977, Andreotti dealt with an economic crisis by criticising the luxury lifestyle of many Italians and pushing through tough austerity measures. This cabinet fell in January 1978. In March,
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#17327727520032640-502: A time" was a quote that emphasised what has been called his "art of the possible" view of politics. Andreotti was known for his discretion and retentive memory, and also a sense of humour, often placing things in perspective with a sardonic quip. Andreotti's personal support within the Christian Democrats was limited, but he could see where the mutual advantage for apparently conflicting interests lay and put himself at
2760-463: A trial about Moro's murder. Moro's widow later declared that she had repeatedly informed the police that a Via Gradoli existed in Rome, but the investigators did not consider it; some replied to her that the street did not appear in Rome's maps. This is confirmed by other Moro relatives but strongly denied by Cossiga, who served as Interior Minister during Moro's kidnapping. In the 1990s, the séance matter
2880-541: A year. The cabinet fell due to the withdrawal of the external support of the Italian Republican Party on the matter of local television reform. Andeotti's approach owed little to a belief that market mechanisms could be left to work without interference. He used price controls on essential foodstuffs and various social reforms to reach an understanding of organised labour. A law of 11 August 1972 extended health insurance to citizens over 65 to receive
3000-423: Is often nicknamed Il Professore ("The Professor") due to his academic career. A former professor of economics and international advisor to Goldman Sachs , Prodi ran as lead candidate of The Olive Tree coalition, winning the 1996 election and serving as prime minister until losing a vote of confidence 1998. He was subsequently appointed President of the European Commission in 1999, serving until 2004. Following
3120-460: Is said to have advised him to remember that few things in life are important and never to over-dramatise difficulties. As an adult, he was described as having a somewhat unusual demeanor for an Italian politician, being mild-mannered and unassuming. Andreotti did not use his influence to advance his children to prominence, despite being widely considered the most powerful person in the country for decades. "See all, tolerate much, and correct one thing at
3240-668: Is serving as the United Nations Special Envoy for the Sahel . Prodi was born in Scandiano , near Reggio Emilia , in 1939; he is the eighth of nine children. His father, Mario Prodi, was an engineer grown up in a peasant family, and his mother, Enrichetta, was an elementary school teacher. Most of the brothers are, or have been, university professors, among them Giovanni Prodi (professor of mathematical analysis), Vittorio Prodi (professor of physics and member of
3360-576: Is the most senior Italian order of merit . It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic , Luigi Einaudi . The highest-ranking honour of the Republic, it is awarded for "merit acquired by the nation" in the fields of literature, the arts, economy, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities and for long and conspicuous service in civilian and military careers. The post-nominal letters for
3480-725: The Lion of the Desert war film about the Second Italo-Senussi War during the Italian colonization of Libya , because, in the words of Andreotti, it was "damaging to the honor of the army". On 14 April 1986, Andreotti revealed to Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel Rahman Shalgham that the United States would bomb Libya the next day in retaliation for the Berlin disco terrorist attack which had been linked to Libya. As
3600-613: The 1997 Albanian civil unrest ; his government proposed the so-called Operation Alba ("Sunrise"), a multinational peacekeeping force sent to Albania in 1997 and led by Italy . It was intended to help the Albanian government restore law and order in their troubled country after the 1997 rebellion in Albania . Following the degenerating loss of administrative control by the Government in the first days of March 1997, culminating in
3720-618: The Amsterdam Treaty , but failed to be addressed at the time. The entry into force of the treaty was in doubt for a time, after its initial rejection by Irish voters in a referendum in June 2001. This referendum result was reversed in a subsequent referendum held a little over a year later. In 2004, his last year as Commission President, the European Union was enlarged to admit several more member nations, most formerly part of
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3840-561: The Communist Refoundation Party withdrew its external support. This led to the formation of a new government led by Massimo D'Alema as prime minister. There are those who claim that D'Alema, along with People's Party leader Franco Marini , deliberately engineered the collapse of the Prodi government to become prime minister himself. As the result of a vote of no confidence in Prodi's government, D'Alema's nomination
3960-791: The Maastricht Treaty (or the Treaty on European Union) and the Treaty of Rome (or the Treaty establishing the European Community which, before the Maastricht Treaty, was the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community). The Treaty of Nice reformed the institutional structure of the European Union to withstand eastward expansion, a task which was originally intended to have been done by
4080-556: The Soviet Union , the first one by an Italian Prime Minister in over a decade. During his premiership, Italy opened and developed diplomatic and economic relationships with Arab countries of the Mediterranean Basin , and supported business and trade between Italy and the Soviet Union . After his resignation, Andreotti served as Minister of Defence in the government of Mariano Rumor and as Minister of Budget in
4200-686: The Soviet bloc . It was the largest single expansion of the European Union (EU), in terms of territory, number of states, and population to date; however, it was not the largest in terms of gross domestic product. It occurred on 1 May 2004. The simultaneous accessions concerned the following countries (sometimes referred to as the "A10" countries): Cyprus , the Czech Republic , Estonia , Hungary , Latvia , Lithuania , Malta , Poland , Slovakia , and Slovenia . Seven of these were part of
4320-675: The UK Independence Party 's Gerard Batten , the member of the European Parliament for London who stated that he was informed of this by Litvinenko, who was his constituent and former FSB operative. The 16 February 2018 indictment of Paul Manafort unsealed on 23 February, as part of the Mueller special counsel investigation , alleges that foreign politicians hypothesized to be Prodi and Alfred Gusenbauer took payments exceeding $ 2 million from Manafort to promote
4440-708: The VF-74 "BeDevilers" and the VF-103 "Sluggers" of Carrier Air Wing 17 , based on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga , and directed to land at Naval Air Station Sigonella (a NATO air base in Sicily ) under the orders of U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger ; there, the hijackers were arrested by the Italian Carabinieri after a disagreement between American and Italian authorities. Prime Minister Bettino Craxi claimed Italian territorial rights over
4560-565: The Years of Lead . In foreign policy, he guided Italy's European Union integration and established closer relations with the Arab world. Admirers of Andreotti saw him as having mediated political and social contradictions, enabling the transformation of a substantially rural country into the world's fifth-largest economy. Critics said he had done nothing to challenge a system of patronage that had led to pervasive corruption. Andreotti staunchly supported
4680-629: The "National Solidarity" government with the support of the PCI. Laws approved during his tenure included the Italian National Health Service reform. However, when the PCI asked to participate more directly in the government, Andreotti refused, and the government was dissolved in June 1979. Due also to conflict with Bettino Craxi , secretary of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), the other main party in Italy at
4800-551: The 41st prime minister of Italy in seven governments (1972–1973, 1976–1979, and 1989–1992), and was leader of the Christian Democracy party and its right-wing; he was the sixth-longest-serving prime minister since the Italian unification and the second-longest-serving post-war prime minister. Andreotti is widely considered the most powerful and prominent politician of the First Republic . Beginning as
4920-536: The Commission, constitute part of the fifth enlargement. The commission was due to leave office on 31 October 2004, but due to opposition from the European Parliament to the proposed Barroso Commission which would succeed it, it was extended and finally left office on 21 November 2004. When his mandate expired, Prodi returned to domestic politics. Shortly before the end of his term as President of
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5040-470: The DC. On 20 November 1958 Andreotti, then Minister of Treasury, was appointed president of the organizing committee of the 1960 Summer Olympics to be held in Rome. In the early 1960s Andreotti was Minister of Defence , and was widely considered the de facto leader of the right-wing Christian Democratic opposition to Fanfani and Moro's strategy. In this period, the revelation that the secret service had compiled dossiers on virtually every public figure in
5160-480: The European Commission , thanks to the support of both the conservative European People's Party , the social-democratic Party of European Socialists and the centrist Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party in the European Parliament. His commission took office on 13 September 1999 following the scandal and subsequent resignation of the Santer Commission which had damaged the reputation of
5280-452: The European Commission, Prodi returned to national Italian politics at the helm of the enlarged centre-left coalition, The Union . Having no party of his own, in order to officially state his candidacy for the 2006 general election , Prodi came up with the idea of an apposite primary election , the first of such kind to be ever introduced in Europe and seen by its creator (Prodi himself) as
5400-474: The European Parliament ), Paolo Prodi (professor of modern history), Franco Prodi [ it ] (professor of atmospheric physics), and Giorgio Prodi (professor of general pathology). In 1969, Prodi married Flavia Franzoni, at that time a student, who later became an economist and university professor. The couple was married by Camillo Ruini , now a well-known cardinal . They have two sons, Giorgio and Antonio. His wife Flavia died on 13 June 2023, at
5520-516: The Fair Rent Law completed state control of rents with general rules for rent levels and terms of leases. A law of 16 February 1977 introduced ad hoc upgrading of cash benefits for the agricultural sector. In November 1977, pension linkage to the industrial wage was extended to all other pension schemes not administered by INPS. A law of 16 February 1977 extended family allowances to part-time agricultural workers. A law of 5 August 1978 introduced
5640-633: The Interior in the first government of Amintore Fanfani . From July 1956 to July 1958, he was appointed Finance Minister in the cabinets of Antonio Segni and Adone Zoli . In the same period, Andreotti started forming a corrente (unofficial political association, or a faction) within the Christian Democracy party, the largest party in Italy. His corrente was supported by the Roman Catholic right wing. It started its activity with
5760-640: The Italdel- Siemens merger, and secondly concerning the sale of the loss-making state-owned food conglomerate SME to the multinational Unilever , for which he had previously been a paid consultant. Prodi's former employer Goldman Sachs was involved in both of the deals. In February 2007 the Italian Treasury Police raided the Milan office of Goldman Sachs, where they removed a file called " MTononi /memo-Prodi02.doc". They also obtained
5880-528: The Italian MS Achille Lauro liner off the coast of Egypt , as she was sailing from Alexandria to Ashdod , Israel. The hijacking was organized by Muhammad Zaidan , leader of the PLF. One 69-year-old Jewish American man in a wheelchair, Leon Klinghoffer , was murdered by the hijackers and thrown overboard. The Egyptian airliner carrying the hijackers was intercepted by F-14 Tomcats from
6000-629: The Italian Catholic forces. The Code served as inspiration and guideline for economic policy of the future Christian Democrats. In 1944, he became a member of the National Council of the newborn Christian Democracy party. After the end of the conflict, he became responsible for the party's youth organisation. In 1946, Andreotti was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Italy , the provisional parliament which had
6120-559: The Italian branch of the NATO stay-behind organizations, "Operation Gladio" is used as an informal name for all of them. During his premiership, Andreotti clashed many times with President of the Republic Francesco Cossiga . In 1990, Andreotti was involved in getting all parties to agree to a binding timetable for the Maastricht Treaty . The deep Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union favoured by Italy
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#17327727520036240-526: The KGB. According to the opposition, which submitted its own minority report, this hypothesis was false, and the purpose of the commission was therefore to discredit him. In the wiretaps, Scaramella had the task of collecting testimonies from some ex-agents of the Soviet secret service refugees in Europe to support these accusations; he was later charged for calumny . In November 2006, the new Italian Parliament with
6360-618: The NATO base. Italian Air Force personnel and Carabinieri lined up facing the United States Navy SEALs which had arrived with two C-141s . Other Carabinieri were sent from Catania to reinforce the Italians. The US eventually allowed the hijackers to be taken into Italian custody, after receiving assurances that the hijackers would be tried for murder. The other passengers on the plane (including Zaidan) were allowed to continue on to their destination, despite protests by
6480-534: The Republic in the 1992 presidential election . Andreotti and the members of his corrente had adopted a strategy of launching his candidature only after effectively quenching all the others. Allegations against him thwarted the strategy; moreover, the election was influenced by the murder of the anti-mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone in Palermo . In 1992, an investigation was started in Milan , dubbed Mani pulite . It uncovered endemic corruption practices at
6600-526: The Senate to 156 for Berlusconi's coalition. Even so, Berlusconi refused to concede defeat, claiming unproven fraud. Prodi's appointment was somewhat delayed, as the outgoing president of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi , ended his mandate in May, not having enough time for the usual procedure (consultations made by the president, appointment of a prime minister, the motion of confidence and oath of office). After
6720-581: The Unilever deal. The case was however shut down within weeks by superiors, while Geremia was "exiled to Sardinia ". On 25 May 1994, Prodi went to Palazzo Chigi to announce his resignation as IRI President to the new Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi ; the resignation had been formalised on 31 May and became effective on 22 July. On 11 August, Prodi announced to the Gazzetta di Reggio of his intent to enter politics. A few months earlier, Prodi had rejected
6840-481: The United States. Egypt demanded an apology from the U.S. for forcing the airplane off course. The escape of Muhammad Zaidan was the result of a deal made with Yassar Arafat. As Minister Andreotti encouraged diplomacy between the United States and the Soviet Union and improving Italian links with Arab countries. In this respect he followed a line similar to that of Craxi, with whom he had an otherwise troubled political relationship. The Italian authorities had banned
6960-437: The Vatican and a capitalist structure, and opposed the Italian Communist Party . Following the popular Italian sentiment of the time, he supported the development of a strong European community playing host to neoliberal economics. He was not opposed to the implementation of the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund in building the European economy. At the height of his statesman career, Andreotti
7080-428: The acrimonious election of Giorgio Napolitano to replace Ciampi, Prodi could proceed with his transition to government. On 16 May he was invited by Napolitano to form a government. The following day, 17 May 2006, Prodi and his second cabinet were sworn into office. Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( Italian : Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana )
7200-423: The age of 76. After completing his secondary education at the Liceo Ludovico Ariosto in Reggio Emilia, Prodi graduated in law at Milan 's Università Cattolica in 1961 with a thesis on the role of protectionism in the development of Italian industry. He then carried out postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics . Prodi has received almost 20 honorary degrees from institutions in Italy, and from
7320-479: The cabinets of Aldo Moro. In 1976, the Italian Socialist Party left the centre-left government of Moro. The ensuing general elections saw the growth of the Italian Communist Party (PCI), and the DC kept only a minimal advantage as the relative majority party in Italy, which was then suffering from an economic crisis and terrorism. After the success of his party, the Communist secretary Enrico Berlinguer approached DC's left-leaning leaders, Moro and Fanfani, with
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#17327727520037440-403: The car of Aldo Moro, then-president of Christian Democracy, was assaulted by a group of Red Brigades (Italian: Brigate Rosse , or BR) terrorists in Via Fani in Rome. Firing automatic weapons, the terrorists killed Moro's bodyguards (two Carabinieri in Moro's car and three policemen in the following car) and kidnapped him. During the kidnapping of Moro, Andreotti refused any negotiation with
7560-440: The case of his client, Viktor Yanukovich ; both denied this and said their work was focused to get closer European Union–Ukraine relations . After leaving his position in 1989, Prodi ran the Bologna based consulting company Analisi e Studi Economici , which he jointly owned along with his wife. Between 1990 and 1993 the company earned £ 1.4 million, most of which was paid by the investment bank Goldman Sachs . In 1993, Prodi
7680-412: The centre of events as mediator. Though not a physically imposing man, Andreotti navigated political waters through conversational skill. Andreotti did not shine at his school and started work in a tax office while studying law at the University of Rome . In this period he became a member of the Italian Catholic Federation of University Students (FUCI), the only non- fascist youth organization which
7800-458: The communists. Andreotti's third cabinet was called "the government of the "not- no confidence ", because it was externally supported by all the political parties in the Parliament, except for the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement . On 28 January 1977, the Italian Parliament approved the Land Use Law, which introduced severe constraints on construction, such as new criteria for land expropriations and new planning procedures. On 27 July 1978,
7920-442: The count progressed. On 11 April 2006, Prodi declared victory; Berlusconi never conceded defeat explicitly but this is not required by the Italian law . Preliminary results showed The Union leading the House of Freedoms in the Chamber of Deputies , with 340 seats to 277, thanks to obtaining a majority bonus (actual votes were distributed 49.81% to 49.74%). One more seat is allied with The Union ( Aosta Valley ) and 7 more seats in
8040-423: The country resulted in the SIFAR affair. Andreotti ordered the destruction of the dossiers; but before the destruction, Andreotti provided the documents to Licio Gelli , the Venerable Master of the clandestine lodge Propaganda Due (P2). Andreotti was also involved in the Piano Solo scandal, an envisaged plot for an Italian coup in 1964 requested by then-President of the Italian Republic Antonio Segni . It
8160-425: The crisis was overcome by the intervention of Moro, who proposed a new cabinet, again formed only by DC politicians, but this time with positive confidence votes from the other parties, including the PCI. This cabinet was also chaired by Andreotti and was formed on 16 March 1978. On the morning of 16 March 1978, the day on which the new Andreotti cabinet was supposed to have undergone a confidence vote in Parliament,
8280-418: The desertion of most Police and many Republican Guard and Army units, leaving their armouries open to the inevitable looting which soon followed, several Nations autonomously helped evacuate their Nationals in Operation Silver Wake and Operation Libelle . The UN Security Council therefore agreed the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1101 as a stop-gap operation to manage this and buy time, laying
8400-426: The first "Prime Minister of the European Union ". It was during Prodi's presidency, in 2002, that 11 EU member states ditched their national currencies and adopted the euro as their common currency. This commission (the 10th) saw an increase in power and influence following the Amsterdam Treaty . The treaty was the result of long negotiations which began in Messina, Sicily , on 2 June 1995, nearly forty years after
8520-430: The first "Prime Minister of the European Union". As well as the enlargement and Amsterdam Treaty, the Prodi Commission also saw the signing and enforcement of the Treaty of Nice as well as the conclusion and signing of the European Constitution : in which he introduced the "Convention method" of negotiation. The treaty was signed by European leaders on 26 February 2001 and came into force on 1 February 2003. It amended
8640-694: The first coalition composed of a post-communist party to win a general election since the Second World War . In the Senate, The Olive Tree obtained the majority; in the Chamber, it required the external support of Communist Refoundation Party . On 17 May 1996, Prodi received from President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro the task of forming a new government. He ultimately formed a 23-member cabinet that included 16 PDS ministers (including Deputy Prime Minister Walter Veltroni ) and 10 PDS junior ministers–the first (former) Communists to take part in government in half
8760-446: The first time a rank higher than Knight. The minimum age requirement is normally 35. The Knight Grand Cross with Collar is awarded only to heads of state . Giulio Andreotti Giulio Andreotti OMI SMOM OCSG OESSH ( US : / ˌ ɑː n d r eɪ ˈ ɒ t i / AHN -dray- OT -ee ; Italian: [ˈdʒuːljo andreˈɔtti] ; 14 January 1919 – 6 May 2013) was an Italian politician and statesman who served as
8880-476: The foreign constituency. The House of Freedoms had secured a slight majority of Senate seats elected within Italy (155 seats to 154), but The Union won 4 of the 6 seats allocated to voters outside Italy , giving them control of both chambers. On 19 April 2006, Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation ruled that Prodi had indeed won the election, winning control of the Chamber of Deputies by only 24,755 votes out of more than 38 million votes cast, and winning 158 seats in
9000-571: The former Eastern Bloc (of which three were from the former Soviet Union and four were and still are members of the Central European alliance Visegrád Group ), one of the former Yugoslavia (together sometimes referred to as the "A8" countries ), and the remaining two were Mediterranean islands and former British colonies . Part of the same wave was the 2007 enlargement of the European Union that saw accession of Bulgaria and Romania, who were unable to join in 2004, but, according to
9120-588: The foundations for a planned reconstruction, which after six weeks of debate fell to the Western European Union , creating the Multinational Albanian Police Element around a command structure of Italian Carabinieri , which actually undertook the work of Judicial and Police reconstruction, extending into the elimination of the economic causes of the crisis. The Italian 3rd Army Corps assumed responsibility for
9240-904: The government. The movement was immediately supported by Mariotto Segni , leader of the centrist Segni Pact ; after few weeks the post-communist Democratic Party of the Left of Massimo D'Alema , the PPI and the Federation of the Greens also joined the Olive Tree coalition. On 19 February 1996, the outgoing Prime Minister Lamberto Dini announced that he would run in the election with a new party called Italian Renewal , allied with Prodi's Olive Tree rather than Berlusconi's Pole for Freedoms . Shortly after Berlusconi claimed that Dini "copied his electoral programme". On election day, Prodi's Olive Tree coalition won over Berlusconi's Pole for Freedoms, becoming
9360-467: The grave via a séance and a Ouija board. Whilst during this supposed séance Prodi thought Gradoli referred to a town on the outskirts of Rome, it probably referred to the Roman address of a Red Brigades safe house, located at no. 96, Via Gradoli. The information was trusted and a police group made an armed blitz in the town of Gradoli, 80 km from Rome , on the following day, 6 April, although Moro
9480-551: The highest levels, causing many spectacular (and sometimes controversial) arrests and resignations. After the disappointing result in the 1992 general election (29.7%) and two years of mounting scandals (which included several Mafia investigations which notably touched Andreotti), the Christian Democracy party was disbanded in 1994. In the 1990s, most of the politicians prosecuted were acquitted during those investigations, sometimes based on legal formalities or on statutory time limit rules. Christian Democracy suffered heavy defeats in
9600-479: The institution. It took over from the interim Marín Commission. The College consisted of 20 Commissioners which grew to 30 following the Enlargement of the European Union in 2004. It was the last commission to see two members allocated to the larger member states . This commission (the 10th) saw in increase in power and influence following Amsterdam Treaty . Some in the media described president Prodi as being
9720-693: The justice system had "gone mad". After being acquitted of all charges, in part due to statute-barred limitations, Andreotti remarked: "Apart from the Punic Wars , for which I was too young, I have been blamed for everything that's happened in Italy." In addition to his prime ministerial posts, Andreotti served in numerous ministerial positions , among them as Minister of the Interior (1954 and 1978), Minister of Finance (1955–1958), Minister of Treasury (1958–1959), Minister of Defence (1959–1966 and 1974), Minister of Budget and Economic Planning (1974–1976), and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1983–1989), and
9840-535: The liberty of the citizens) encircling the head of Italia turrita on the reverse. The six degrees with corresponding ribbons are as follows (with numbers to 2 June 2020): The order is bestowed by decree of the President of the Italian Republic , as head of the orders of knighthood, on the recommendation of the President of the Council of Ministers . Except in exceptional circumstances, no one can be awarded for
9960-441: The market against Neorealist films , a genre that exhibitors complained lacked stars and was held in low esteem by the public. As he phrased it, there were to be 'Less rags, more legs'. Raunchy comedies and historical dramas with voluptuous toga-clad actresses became the staple of the Italian film industry. The screenplays were vetted to ensure that state funds were not used to prop up commercially unsustainable films, thereby creating
10080-570: The member states agreed to devolve certain powers from national governments to the European Parliament across diverse areas, including legislating on immigration, adopting civil and criminal laws, and enacting foreign and security policy (CFSP), as well as implementing institutional changes for expansion as new member nations join the EU. Due to this increased power of the Commission President, some media described President Prodi as being
10200-424: The most centrist; other rumours indicated such "fake" left-wing voters would vote for Bertinotti, because his leadership would likely lose any grip on the political centre . The election had been held nationwide on 16 October 2005, from 8 am to 10 pm. Poll stations were mainly managed on a voluntary basis; they were hosted mainly in squares, local party quarters, schools, and even restaurants , bars , campers and
10320-566: The new prime minister. On 22 July 1989, Andreotti was sworn in for the third time as prime minister. A turbulent course characterized his government; he decided to stay at the head of government, despite the abandonment of many social democratic ministers, after the approval of the norm on TV spots favorable to private TV channels of Silvio Berlusconi . This choice did not prevent the resurgence of old suspicions and resentments with Bettino Craxi , whose Italian Socialist Party withdrew from their coalition government in 1991. Andreotti would create
10440-698: The notes of the Italian Parliament commission on terrorism, the séance is described as a fake, used to hide the true source of the information. In 1997, Andreotti declared that the information came from the Bologna section of Autonomia Operaia , a far-left organization with some ties with the Red Brigades, and that Francesco Cossiga also knew the true source. Judge Ferdinando Imposimato considered Andreotti's theory as possible but accused him of having kept information that could have been valuable in
10560-553: The office, Andreotti had wider-ranging responsibilities than many full ministers, which caused some envy. Andreotti's main undertaking was representing the interests of Frosinone in the province of Lazio . Lazio would continue to serve as Andreotti's geographical base of power later in his political career. As the state undersecretary in charge of entertainment in 1949, Andreotti established import limits and screen quotas, and provided loans to Italian production firms. The measures aimed to prevent American productions from dominating
10680-495: The one with the shortest period of fullness of powers in the history of the Italian Republic. A snap election was called for May 1972, and Christian Democracy, led by Andreotti's ally Arnaldo Forlani , remained stable with around 38% of the votes, as did the Communist Party , with the same 27% as in 1968 . Andreotti, supported by secretary Forlani, tried to continue his centrist strategy, but his attempt only lasted
10800-711: The order are OMRI . The order effectively replaced national orders such as the Civil Order of Savoy (1831), the Order of the Crown of Italy (1868), the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1572) and the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (1362). Investiture takes place twice a year – on 2 June, the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic , and on 27 December, the anniversary of
10920-464: The other candidates running mostly to "measure their strengths" in the coalition, and they often talked about reaching a certain percentage rather than winning. However, there were rumours of supporters of the House of Freedoms trying to participate in the elections, and vote in favour of Mastella, reputed to be the least competent of the candidates and the least likely to win against Berlusconi, other than
11040-570: The promulgation of the Italian Constitution . However, those awards on Presidential motu proprio , related to termination of service or granted to foreigners, may be made at any time. The badge, modified in 2001, bears the inscription Al Merito della Repubblica encircling the national coat of arms on the obverse and the Latin Patriæ Unitati (for the union of the country) and Civium Libertati (for
11160-403: The provincial and municipal elections, and polling suggested heavy losses in the 1994 Italian general election . In hopes of changing the party's image, the DC's last secretary, Mino Martinazzoli , decided to change the name of the party to the Italian People's Party (PPI). Pier Ferdinando Casini , representing the centre-right faction of the party (previously led by Forlani), decided to launch
11280-698: The re-formation of the Italian Olympic Committee , which had been disbanded after the fall of the Fascist regime. In 1953, among other things, he promoted the so-called "Andreotti's veto" against foreign football players in Italian Serie A . After De Gasperi's resignation and retirement in August 1953, Andreotti remained Secretary of the Council under the short-lived premiership of Giuseppe Pella . In 1954, Andreotti became Minister of
11400-522: The rescue of large enterprises in crisis. On 2 April 1978, Prodi and other teachers at the University of Bologna passed on a tip-off that revealed the whereabouts of the safe house where the kidnapped Aldo Moro , the former prime minister, was being held captive by the Red Brigades . Prodi stated that he had been given this tip-off by the founders of Christian Democracy, contacted from beyond
11520-428: The rest of Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. On 25 November 1978, Prodi was appointed Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Crafts in the government of the Christian Democracy leader Giulio Andreotti . Even if he was a party member, Prodi was widely considered a technical minister. As minister, he promoted a law, known as Prodi law, which aimed a regulating of the extraordinary state administration procedure for
11640-481: The signing of the Treaty of Rome , and reached completion in Amsterdam on 18 June 1997. Following the formal signing of the Treaty on 2 October 1997, the member states engaged in an equally long and complex ratification process. The European Parliament endorsed the treaty on 19 November 1997, and after two referendums and 13 decisions by parliaments, the member states finally concluded the procedure. Under this treaty
11760-493: The state religion, making religious instruction in public schools optional, and having the Church accept Italy's divorce law in 1971. Andreotti opposed legal divorce and abortion, but despite his party's opposition, he couldn't avoid the legalization of abortion in May 1978. Andreotti was a strong NATO supporter and was invited to America by the U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1973. A year earlier, he paid an official visit to
11880-462: The stop-gap mission as Operation Alba, the first multinational Italian-led Mission since World War II. Eleven contributing European Nations brought humanitarian aid to a country that was in a dramatic economic and political situation. In 1997, Prodi declared that "the problem of the safety of the country seems to be no longer one of external safety, but an internal one: the safety of citizens in their everyday life". Prodi's government fell in 1998 when
12000-711: The séance, and that Gradoli had appeared in several sessions, even if the participants had changed. Later, other Italian members of the European Commission alleged that Prodi had invented this story to conceal the real source of the tip-off, which they believed to have originated somewhere among the far-left Italian political groups. This issue came back again in 2005, when Prodi was accused of being "a KGB man" by Mario Scaramella . The allegations were rejected by Prodi. Former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer Alexander Litvinenko also said that FSB deputy chief Anatoly Trofimov "did not exactly say that Prodi
12120-401: The task of writing the new Italian constitution. His election was supported by Alcide De Gasperi , founder of the modern DC, of whom Andreotti became a close assistant and advisor; the two politicians became close friends despite their very different characters. However, De Gasperi later described Andreotti as a man "so capable in everything that he could become capable of anything". In 1948, he
12240-600: The terrorists. Moro, during his imprisonment, wrote a statement expressing very harsh judgements against Andreotti. On 9 May 1978, Moro's body was found in the trunk of a Renault 4 in Via Caetani after 55 days of imprisonment, during which Moro was submitted to a political trial by the so-called "people's court" set up by the Brigate Rosse and the Italian government was asked for an exchange of prisoners. After Moro's death, Andreotti continued as Prime Minister of
12360-525: The time, Andreotti did not hold any further government position until 1983. In 1983, Andreotti became Minister of Foreign Affairs in the first Cabinet of Bettino Craxi, despite the long-lasting personal antagonism between the two men which had occurred earlier on; Craxi was the first Socialist to become Prime Minister of Italy since Unification . On 7 October 1985, four men representing the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) hijacked
12480-431: The victory of his new coalition, The Union , over the House of Freedoms led by Silvio Berlusconi , at the 2006 election , Prodi became prime minister a second time. On 24 January 2008, he lost a vote of confidence in the Senate and consequently tendered his resignation as prime minister to President Giorgio Napolitano ; he continued in office for almost four months for routine business until early elections were held and
12600-513: Was a senator for life from 1991 until his death in 2013. He was also a journalist and author. Andreotti was sometimes called Divo Giulio (from Latin Divus Iulius , "Divine Julius", an epithet of Julius Caesar after his posthumous deification), or simply Il divo . Andreotti, the youngest of three children, was born on 14 January 1919 in Rome . His father, who died when Giulio was two,
12720-564: Was a KGB agent, because the KGB avoids using that word." The same accusation was raised in 2002 by the Mitrokhin Commission , which was closed in 2006 with a majority and a minority report, without reaching shared conclusions, and without any concrete evidence given to support the original allegations of KGB ties to Italian politicians contained in the Mitrokhin Archive . Led by the centre-right coalition majority, it
12840-469: Was a heterogeneous alliance, which was formed by centrist parties like UDEUR and communists like PRC and Party of Italian Communists . Prodi led his coalition to the electoral campaign preceding the election, eventually on 9 and 10 April won by a very narrow margin of 25,000 votes, and a final majority of two seats in the Senate . Initial exit polls suggested a victory for Prodi, but the results narrowed as
12960-558: Was a primary school teacher from Segni , a small town in Lazio ; after a few years his sister Elena also died. Andreotti attended the Liceo Torquato Tasso in Rome and graduated in law at the University of Rome , with a mark of 110/110. Andreotti showed some ferocity as a youth, once stubbing out a lit taper in the eye of another altar boy who was ridiculing him. His mother was described as not very affectionate. An aunt
13080-611: Was allowed by the regime of Benito Mussolini . Its members included many of the future leaders of Christian Democracy . In 1938, while researching the papal navy in the Vatican library, he met Alcide De Gasperi , who had been given sanctuary by the Pope. De Gasperi asked Andreotti if he had nothing better to do with his time, inspiring him to become politically active. Speaking of De Gasperi, Andreotti said, "He taught us to search for compromise, to mediate." In July 1939, while Aldo Moro
13200-805: Was between the main candidates to become Prime Minister of Italy at the head of a technocratic government ; instead, the Governor of the Bank of Italy , Carlo Azeglio Ciampi , was chosen for this office by President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro . In 1993–1994, Prodi was appointed again President of the IRI, by Ciampi, where he oversaw extensive privatization of public assets. For his activities in this period Prodi would later twice come under investigation – firstly for an alleged conflict of interest in relation to contracts awarded to his own economic research company in relation to
13320-472: Was criticized as politically motivated, as it was focused mainly on allegations against opposition figures. 2006 saw the publication of telephone interceptions between the chairman of the Mitrokhin Commission, Forza Italia senator Paolo Guzzanti , and Scaramella. In the wiretaps, Guzzanti made it clear that the true intent of the Mitrokhin Commission was to support the hypothesis that Prodi would have been an agent financed or in any case manipulated by Moscow and
13440-421: Was elected to the newly formed Chamber of Deputies to represent the constituency of Rome–Viterbo–Latina–Frosinone , which remained his stronghold until the 1990s. Andreotti began his government career in 1947 when he became Secretary of the Council of Ministers in the cabinet of his patron De Gasperi. The appointment was also supported by Giovanni Battista Montini , who later would become Pope Paul VI. During
13560-410: Was even worse, Andreotti was instrumental in the creation of the so-called "CAF triangle" (from the initials of the surnames of Craxi, Andreotti and another DC leader, Arnaldo Forlani ) opposing De Mita's power. After Craxi's resignation in 1987, Andreotti remained Minister of Foreign Affairs in the governments of Fanfani and De Mita. In 1989, when De Mita's government fell, Andreotti was appointed as
13680-527: Was not found. The supernatural element was generally not overlooked during the investigations. For example, the Italian government had engaged a diviner , hoping that he would find Moro's location. The police made another fruitless blitz in Viterbo after an abbess declared that, during a vision, she had seen him there. Prodi spoke to the Italian Parliament 's commission about the case in 1981. In
13800-476: Was opposed by Britain's Margaret Thatcher , who wanted a system of competition between currencies. Germany had doubts about committing to the project without requiring economic reforms from Italy, which was seen as having various imbalances. As President of the European Council, Andreotti co-opted Germany by making admittance to the single market automatic once the criteria had been met and committing to
13920-402: Was passed by a single vote. This was the first occasion in the history of the Italian Republic on which a vote of no confidence had ever been called; the Republic's many previous governments had been brought down by a majority "no" vote on some crucially important piece of legislation (such as the budget). In September 1999 Prodi, a strong supporter of European Integration , became President of
14040-603: Was prepared by the commander of the Carabinieri, Giovanni de Lorenzo, at the beginning of 1964 in close collaboration with the Italian secret service (SIFAR), CIA secret warfare expert Vernon Walters , William Harvey , then-chief of the CIA station in Rome, and Renzo Rocca, director of the Gladio units within the military secret service SID. In 1968, Andreotti was appointed leader of the parliamentary group of Christian Democracy,
14160-537: Was president of FUCI, Andreotti became director of its magazine Azione Fucina . In 1942, when Moro was enrolled in the Italian Army, Andreotti succeeded him as president of FUCI, a position he held until 1944. During his early years Andreotti suffered violent migraines that forced him to make use of psychoactive drugs sporadically and opiates . During World War II , Andreotti wrote for the Rivista del Lavoro ,
14280-480: Was reopened by the Italian Parliament's commission on terrorism. While Prodi (then Prime Minister) declared that he had no time for an interview, both Mario Baldassarri (senator and vice-minister in two Silvio Berlusconi cabinets) and Alberto Clò (Minister of Industry in Lamberto Dini 's cabinet and owner of the house where the séance was performed) responded to the call; they confirmed the circumstances of
14400-474: Was subjected to criminal prosecutions and charged with colluding with Cosa Nostra . Courts managed to prove that he was undoubtedly linked with them until 1980; however, the case was closed due to past statutes of limitations . The most sensational allegation came from prosecutors in Perugia , who charged him with ordering the murder of a journalist. He was found guilty at a trial, which led to complaints that
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