317. Briefing Paper Prepared in the Department of State0
PRESIDENT’S EUROPEAN TRIP
June 1963
Bilateral Background Paper: Italy
U.S. Views on Center-Left Experiment
The crucial question in Italian politics in recent and coming years is the extent of Socialist separation from the Communists and the dependability of Socialist orientation in defense of democratic ideals in Italy and in NATO. A principal objective of Italy’s first center-left government (March 1962–May 1963) was to assist the Socialists in completing their withdrawal from cooperation with the Communists, with whom they had a unity of action pact until early 1957. We cannot say yet whether the experiment has been a success. The effort has been criticized as too risky and the chances of success too slight. The recent Communist electoral gains and the state of confusion in the Socialist Party after the election are adverse factors. Under the center-left government, however, the Socialists increasingly oriented themselves toward European unity, accepted Italy’s NATO role, although with limitations, and showed willingness to explore Italian participation in the MLF. We believe that only Italians are in a position to decide about the center-left. During the period before the center-left government was formed and during its existence, the U.S. Government has therefore refused either to press for or to counsel against the experiment. Both advocates and opponents of the experiment have criticized this posture, but we believe that it was and remains the correct position for us to take.
In the immediate post-war period the alternatives in Italy were communism or democracy. [1-1/2 lines of source text not declassified] The present choice in Italy, however, is between a liberal democratic coalition and a conservative democratic alternative, both of which are threatened by the Communists. These two democratic alternatives between them gained nearly 70% of the votes this year (excluding the Communists and neo-Fascists), whereas in 1958 the single democratic possibility won only 58% (the Socialists then being in opposition). Under these circumstances, our most effective efforts should be directed to encouraging all democratic parties to strengthen their efforts against Communism, without favoring one party, faction, or solution among the democratic alternatives.
- Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 66 D110, CF 2274. Secret. Drafted by Gammon. Cleared by Tyler and Brandin. This paper was included in the President’s European trip briefing book.↩