Former President of the Italian Republic Francesco Cossiga died in Rome yesterday at the age of 82.
Born in Sassari [Sardinia] in 1928, Francesco Cossiga studied and taught law at the University of Sassari. He became interested in politics at an early age and joined the Christian Democrat Party when he was 17. At the age of 47, he became Italy’s youngest Interior Minister and held this post during the period of Red Brigade terrorism in the country. When his friend and mentor, former Prime Minister Aldo Moro was kidnapped by the Red Brigades, Mr Cossiga led frantic attempts to find him, stopping short, however, of agreeing to an exchange of prisoners as the Red Brigades wanted. He resigned when Aldo Moro’s body was found in a car in Rome in 1978, the first Italian minister to leave office voluntarily since World War II. At the time, he declared himself “politically dead”.
But Mr Cossiga was far from “politically dead” and he was Prime Minister from August 1979 to October 1980, holding this office at the time of the mysterious Ustica air crash.
In 1985 he was elected President of the Republic and served until 1992. A staunch supporter of the US, he resigned as President two months before the end of his term amid revelations about his role in the 1960s Gladio operation, in which US troops were trained to go into guerrilla action in the event of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe.
As a Life Senator, Mr Cossiga’s constant and hardly subtle criticism of Italian political institutions, politicians and the judiciary earned him the nickname of “il Picconatore – the pickaxe”. Some critics even went so far as to suggest that he was suffering from dementia. He admitted having suffered from depression but denied being anything but lucid.
Fascinated by espionage, Mr Cossiga was a fan of the novels of John Le Carré. He once said that he “liked spies the way other people like flowers”. He also enjoyed playing poker.
Mr Cossiga left four personal letters, addressed to Prime Minister Berlusconi, President Giorgio Napolitano, Senate Speaker Renato Schifani and House Speaker Gianfranco Fini. ANSA reports that in his letter to Mr Schifani he urged all Italian senators to do their best to “serve the nation”.
Mr Berlusconi has said that he mourns a “dear, affectionate and gentle friend” whilst the leader of the Democratic Party, Pier Luigi Bersani, has said that Mr Cossiga was an extraordinary person who was part of Italian history.
Mr Cossiga was explicit in his wish for a private funeral and the service will take place tomorrow or on Friday in the small parish of San Giuseppe in Sassari [Sardinia]. He is survived by a son and a daughter.
Francesco Cossiga, 26.7.1928 – 17.8.2010.
