PARLIAMENT DEFEATS DE GASPERI'S PROPOSED CABINET

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00890A000100060033-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 27, 2000
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: July 28, 1953
• Content Type: BRIEF

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NSC Briefing 28 July 1953
PARLIAMENT DEFEATS DE GA.SPERI'S PR?P'OSED CABINET
Premier de Gasperi's proposed all-Christian Democratic
cabinet missed a vote of confidence from the 590-man Chamber
of Deputies by 282 to 263, with 8 absentees a.nd 37 abstentions.
The latter came from the minor democratic parties who were
joined in a bloc with De Gasperi's Christian Democrats in the
June national elections. Support far De Gasperi came entirely
from the Christian Democratic parliamentary group, which
comprises 263 Christian Democrats and 2 South Tyrolean depu-
ties. He has accordingly submitted his formal resignation
once more. De Gasperi now has three choices:
(1) calling for new elections;
(2) stepping down to let someone else try
to form a government;
(3) trying once more to form his own govern-
ment if--as is expected--the president
asks him to.
The argument for new elections has been that some of
the voters who, in the June elections, cast protest ballots
for the extreme right or left, might this time vote for the
government in order to avoid political chaoso Against this
is the fact that another election, presumably not until
after the fall harvest, would be expensige and exhausting,
oocurgE"j ~vo.
and would risk another government defeat . "4 c'~~A"c,~'~' cLASa
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Such a defeat appears likely in view of the fact that
the proposed cabinet was more rightist than the previous
one, ignored the leftist electoral trend and was offensive
to anti-clericals and non-Christian Democrats in general.
Furthermore, the government's prestige on the Trieste issue
has fallen still lower now that the Italian people have
learned of the Yugoslav talks in Washington.
De Gaspers has indicated a strong aversion to alliance
with the Monarchists, which he feels would block reform and
dangerously increase nationalist and neo-Fascist influence on
the government. Re might well step down rather than make such
a move, even to secure the support of 40 deputies, There
would then be two possibilities>
(1) a more leftist government under Christian
Democrats Fanfani or Gronchi;
(2~ a. more rightist government, with Monarchist
blessing, under Christian Democrats Piccioni
or Pella..
De Gaspers might prefer to step down with the hope of re-
~emerging with greater prestige if another premier should fail
to hold the government together.
Latest press reports subsequent to De Gasperi's 2S J'uly
parliamentary defeat indicate that he will continue his
center line, bowing neither to the right nor the left blocs.
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SE TY INFORMATION
This has been taken to mean that he or another member of
his party would try to form a center caalitian, which to
date has proved impossibleo The Social Democrats, the
largest of the minor democratic parties, have announced that
he could have their 19 votes only by including elements of
the Nenni Svcia.lists in the governments The letter's ?5
seats, plus Social Democratic support, would give De Gaspers
strong parliamentary backing, even if the right wing of his
.awn party should bvlt4 The left-center wing of his own party,
which emerged strengthened as a result of the elections, ha.s
strongly supported such a move as a means of avoiding a
clerical government with a consequent strong popular reaction
toward communism>
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