Currently released so far... 5268 / 251,287
Articles
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Amsterdam
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Browse by tag
AF
ASEC
AR
AORC
AJ
AM
AMGT
AE
AU
AGMT
AG
AS
AFIN
APER
ABUD
ATRN
AL
AEMR
ACOA
AO
AX
AMED
ADCO
AODE
AFFAIRS
AC
ASIG
ABLD
AA
AFU
ASUP
AROC
ATFN
AVERY
APCS
AER
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AEC
APECO
CU
CO
CH
CDG
CIA
CACM
CDB
CI
CS
CVIS
CA
CBW
CASC
CD
CV
CMGT
CLINTON
CE
CJAN
CG
CF
CN
CAN
COUNTER
CIS
CM
CONDOLEEZZA
COE
CR
CY
CTM
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CPAS
CWC
CT
CKGR
CB
CACS
COM
CJUS
CARSON
CL
COUNTERTERRORISM
EG
ECON
ETTC
EFIN
EZ
ETRD
EUN
ELAB
EU
EINV
EAID
EMIN
ENRG
ECPS
EN
ER
ET
ES
EPET
EUC
EI
EAIR
EAGR
EIND
EWWT
ELTN
EREL
ECIN
EFIS
EINT
EC
ECONEFIN
ENVR
ECA
ELN
EFTA
EXTERNAL
EINVETC
ENIV
EINN
ENGR
EUR
ESA
ENERG
EK
ENGY
ETRO
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ENVI
ESENV
ELECTIONS
ECUN
EINVEFIN
ECIP
EINDETRD
IV
IR
IS
IZ
IAEA
IN
IT
ICTY
IQ
ICAO
INTERPOL
IPR
INRB
IRAJ
INRA
INRO
IO
IC
ID
IIP
ITPHUM
IWC
ISRAELI
IRAQI
ICRC
IMO
IF
ILC
IEFIN
INTELSAT
IL
IA
IBRD
IMF
INR
IRC
ITALY
ITALIAN
KGIC
KDEM
KTIP
KOMC
KNNP
KWBG
KU
KPAL
KGHG
KAWK
KISL
KPAO
KHLS
KSUM
KSPR
KJUS
KCRM
KGCC
KPIN
KDRG
KTFN
KG
KBIO
KHIV
KSCA
KN
KS
KCOR
KZ
KE
KFRD
KIPR
KPKO
KNUC
KMDR
KPLS
KOLY
KUNR
KIRF
KIRC
KACT
KRAD
KCOM
KMCA
KV
KHDP
KVPR
KDEV
KWMN
KMPI
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCFC
KTIA
KPRP
KAWC
KCIP
KCFE
KOCI
KTDB
KMRS
KLIG
KBCT
KICC
KGIT
KSTC
KPAK
KNEI
KSEP
KPOA
KFLU
KNUP
KNNPMNUC
KO
KTER
KHUM
KRFD
KBTR
KDDG
KWWMN
KFLO
KSAF
KBTS
KPRV
KNPP
KNAR
KWMM
KERG
KFIN
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KTBT
KCRS
KRVC
KSTH
KREL
KNSD
KTEX
KPAI
KHSA
KR
KPWR
KWAC
KMIG
KSEC
KIFR
KDEMAF
MOPS
MARR
MNUC
MX
MASS
MCAP
MO
MIL
MTCRE
ML
MR
MZ
MPOS
MOPPS
MTCR
MAPP
MU
MY
MA
MG
MASC
MCC
MEPP
MK
MTRE
MP
MDC
MAR
MEPI
MRCRE
MI
MT
MQADHAFI
MD
MAPS
MUCN
MASSMNUC
MERCOSUR
MC
OVIP
OPDC
OPRC
OIIP
OFFICIALS
OSAC
OAS
OEXC
ODIP
OREP
OFDP
OTRA
OSCE
OPIC
OECD
OPCW
OSCI
OIE
OIC
OTR
OVP
PARM
PREL
PTER
PHUM
PGOV
PINR
PINS
PREF
PK
PE
PBTS
POGOV
PROP
PINL
PL
POL
PBIO
PSOE
PHSA
PKFK
PO
PGOF
PA
PARMS
PORG
PM
PMIL
PTERE
PF
PALESTINIAN
PY
PGGV
PNR
POV
PAK
PAO
PFOR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PRGOV
PNAT
PROV
PEL
PINF
PGOVE
POLINT
PRL
PRAM
PMAR
PGOVLO
PHUMBA
PHUS
PHUMPREL
POLITICS
PEPR
PSI
PINT
PU
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PECON
SOCI
SY
SENV
SA
SP
SNAR
SG
SCUL
SR
STEINBERG
SF
SW
SU
SL
SMIG
SO
SN
SHUM
SZ
SYR
ST
SANC
SC
SAN
SIPRS
SK
SH
SI
TS
TU
TX
TBIO
TW
TSPA
TH
TIP
TI
TRGY
TC
TR
TT
TERRORISM
TO
TFIN
TD
TSPL
TZ
TPHY
TK
TNGD
TINT
TRSY
TP
UK
UN
US
UNGA
UNSC
UNO
UNMIK
UV
UY
UP
UG
USEU
USUN
UZ
UNESCO
UE
UAE
UNEP
USTR
UNHCR
UNDP
UNHRC
USAID
UNCHS
UNAUS
UNCHC
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 09MILAN95, KEEPING BERLUSCONI CLOSE: NORTHERN LEAGUE STRATEGY
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09MILAN95.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
09MILAN95 | 2009-04-28 15:03 | 2011-03-04 11:11 | CONFIDENTIAL | Consulate Milan |
VZCZCXRO1120
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHMIL #0095/01 1181541
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281541Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL MILAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1750
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 8786
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE 0203
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 0201
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MILAN 000095
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/PPD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2019
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON IT
SUBJECT: KEEPING BERLUSCONI CLOSE: NORTHERN LEAGUE STRATEGY
FOR EU ELECTIONS
MILAN 00000095 001.2 OF 003
Classified By: CG Daniel Weygandt. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
-------
Summary
-------
¶1. (C) Northern League (LN) insiders Roberto Calderoli,
Minister for Legislative Simplification, and Giancarlo
Giorgetti, President of the Finance Committee in the Chamber
of Deputies described their strategy to make LN the hegemonic
political party in Northern Italy over the next few years.
Key to their plan is progress on fiscal federalism and
broader regional autonomy and securing one, or possibly two,
regional governor positions in the 2010 elections. Giorgetti
acknowledged an upward trend in polling for LN ahead of the
EU Parliamentary elections in June, but expressed concern
that if LN results were ""too good,"" it would create friction
with Berlusconi's People of Liberty party (PdL) and possibly
hurt the chances of an LN candidate to head the PdL ticket
for a key Northern region in 2010. LN's strategy in the
short term will be to keep Berlusconi as close as possible,
minimizing tension between the LN and PdL. Still, center
right candidacies for Northern Italian regions for the 2010
elections will likely be the key cause of discord within the
governing coalition over the next year. End summary.
¶2. (U) On April 20, the Consul General had lunch with two
top figures in Italy's Northern League political party:
Roberto Calderoli, Minister for Legislative Simplification,
and Giancarlo Giorgetti, President of the Finance Committee
in the Chamber of Deputies.
--------------------------------------------- ------
Economic Crisis Disproportionally Felt in the North
--------------------------------------------- ------
¶3. (SBU) Giorgetti asserted that the economic crisis is more
of an abstraction in Rome and that this explained the
somewhat limited response to the crisis from the government.
He explained that roughly half of Italians are retired and
receiving guaranteed pensions. Of the other half that works,
almost half work for the government. This leaves only a
quarter working for the private sector and at risk of losing
their jobs in the current downturn. The government jobs are
concetrated in Rome and southern Italy while private sector
jobs, particularly in small business are concentrated in
northern Italy. (Note: The concentration of small business is
densest in Lombardy and the Veneto, LN's traditional
strongholds. End note.) Thus, Giorgetti concluded, only a
quarter of the population is feeling the effects of the
economic crisis and three quarters of that group is in the
North. (Note: The proportions Giorgetti cites are rhetorical
flourishes, but most are roughly within the ballpark with the
exception of the symbolic exaggeration that three quarters of
private sector activity is in the North. Still, we are
certainly hearing increased concern from export-focused small
businesses throughout our district, particularly given the
recent dropoff in demand for exports. End note.)
Frustration with the government's response to the crisis is
increasing support for LN, according to Giorgetti.
-----------------------------
Future of the Northern League
-----------------------------
¶4. (C) Calderoli was unequivocal about the future of LN. He
expressed the LN goal was to be the hegemonic political party
in Northern Italy. He said the party would seek to achieve
this result through delivering concrete results, starting
with this year's push on fiscal federalism. He was clear
that the LN base expected real autonomy and that fiscal
federalism was at best a first step, particularly in the
current, relatively weak set of proposed reforms. He pointed
to the regional elections in 2010 as a key opportunity for
LN, noting they should be able to win two governorships
(there has never been an LN governor). He was confident that
LN governors would build support for the party through good
government at the regional level. (Note: This strategy has
worked well for LN at the local level, particularly with
strong mayors that are able to build support for the party
through competent administration and personal charisma.
Regional governors are more prominent and have more
authority, so LN hopes this strategy will work even better on
a regional level. End note.) When asked which two
MILAN 00000095 002.2 OF 003
governorships LN hoped to get, Calderoli explicitly named the
Veneto suggesting LN had enough support to win outright there
and thus the center right coalition would support a LN
candidate to keep the LN from ""going it alone."" It was clear
that Lombardy was the second target, but Calderoli insinuated
that Lombardy was probably too prominent for Berlusconi's
People of Liberty party (PdL) to give up and that LN might be
able to give up Lombardy for a guarantee on Veneto and some
other concessions.
--------------------------------------------- ---------
LN Looking to 2010 Elections: Keeping Berlusconi Close
--------------------------------------------- ---------
¶5. (C) Calderoli and Giorgetti agreed that European
Parliamentary elections in June were of secondary importance
to the party. Nonetheless, LN is clearly keeping an eye on
those races. Giorgetti noted that polls showed increasing LN
strength ahead of the June elections, but that paradoxically
LN party leader Umberto Bossi was worried that the party
would get too much support. Further gains at the expense of
PdL this year could upset the coalition's balance, he argued,
and drive the PdL to seek to openly tarnish LN at every
opportunity ahead of the 2010 elections. Giorgetti said the
LN strategy in the short term would be to keep Berlusconi in
a bear hug, as close as possible. ""If Berlusconi says red,
we say red. If he says black, black for us too."" Giorgetti
sensed Berlusconi was looking to create friction to push LN
to be more extreme and improve PdL's support, but he was
clear LN would not fall for it.
¶6. (C) Comment: Gaining a governorship has been a Northern
League priority for quite some time. The conventional
political wisdom is that a strong showing in the upcoming EU
Parliamentary elections would give LN increased leverage to
ask for their candidate to head the center right ticket in at
least one key region in the 2010 elections. Since the
decision of a candidate will be made by political leaders, in
this case negotiated between Berlusconi and Bossi, LN is
astutely seeking to avoid friction until the 2010 elections -
including friction from performing too well in the EU
elections. Still, with polls showing a strong boost for LN
(though it is still early for polling by Italian standards),
LN will not have fine-tuned control over their election
showing nor over how good is too good according to
Berlusconi. Candidacies for the regional elections in
Northern Italy on the center right will continue to be a key
source of tension within the governing coalition until the
lists for the 2010 election are set. End comment.
---------
Bio Notes
---------
¶7. (SBU) Roberto Calderoli is 53. He was born in Bergamo,
Italy on April 18, 1956. He holds a degree in medicine and
dental surgery. He started out in politics with the Lombard
League, precursor to the Northern League, in the late 1980s.
He was first elected to Parliament in 1992 and has been a
member of Parliament since (Deputy until 2001, then Senator).
He twice served as Vice President of the Senate. In that
role during the Prodi Government from 2006-2008, he was
regarded as one of the legislative masterminds of the
opposition, working to engineer Prodi's fall from power. He
served as Minister of Institutional Reform from 2004-06 and
since 2008 has served as Minister for Legislative
Simplification (both times without portfolio). He plays a
key role in the LN party structure as well, serving as
coordinator of its regional secretaries (a key election
strategy position) since 2002. He is best known for his
controversial antics and anti-immigrant stance, including
unbuttoning his shirt in Parliament to reveal a t-shirt with
a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad and calling for a national
""take a pig to your local mosque day"" to protest mosque
construction in Italy. Aside from party leader Umberto
Bossi, Calderoli is perhaps the most popular LN politician
with the party's rank and file. He is intellectually astute,
but cultivates an image of buffoonery to disarm his political
opponents.
¶8. (SBU) Giancarlo Giorgetti is 42. He was born in Cazzago
Brabbia, Italy (near Varese) on December 16, 1966. He has a
degree in economics from Milan's prestigious Bocconi
University. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in
MILAN 00000095 003.2 OF 003
1996 and has been reelected in each subsequent session. He
served as President of the powerful Treasury Committee from
2001-06, and from 2008 to the present (he served as Vice
President of the Committee when the center right was in the
opposition from 2006-08). He has also served on the Foreign
Affairs Committee and is a member of the Italian
Parliamentary delegation to NATO. He is regional party
secretary for the Lombardy Region, a key LN stronghold. He
comes from Varese, the hometown of numerous other LN
heavyweights including Bossi and current Interior Minister
Maroni. He is extremely sharp and well-respected both inside
and outside of his party. Numerous contacts speculate that
he might eventually succeed Bossi as leader of the party (and
he tends to agree in private).
WEYGANDT
"