Editing Francesco Cossiga (section)

==President of Italy==
[[File:Cossiga Reagan.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Cossiga with [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Ronald Reagan]], in 1987.]]

In the [[1985 Italian presidential election|1985 presidential election]], Cossiga was elected as [[President of Italy]] with 752 votes out of 977. His candidacy was endorsed by the Christian Democracy but supported also by communists, socialists, social democrats, liberals and republicans. This was the first time an Italian presidential candidate had won the election on the first ballot, where a two-thirds majority is necessary. He took office on 29 June 1985 on an interim basis after the resignation of Outgoing President [[Sandro Pertini]], but was not sworn in until a few days later, on 3 July.

The Cossiga presidency was essentially divided into two phases related to the attitudes of the head of state. In the first five years, Cossiga played its role in a traditional way, caring for the role of the republican institutions under the Constitution, which makes the President of the Republic a kind of arbitrator in relations between the powers of the state.

==="Pickaxe-wielder" president===
It was in his last two years as president that Cossiga began to express some unusual opinions regarding the Italian political system. He opined that the Italian parties, especially the Christian Democrats and the Communists had to take into account the deep changes brought about by the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]] and the end of the [[Cold War]].<ref name=washingtonpost>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/17/AR2010081701409_2.html The Washington Post: Veteran Italian politician Cossiga dies]{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> According to him, DC and PCI would therefore have been seriously affected by this change, but Cossiga believed that political parties and the same institutions refused to recognize it.

[[File:Cossiga Francesco 3.jpg|thumb|220px|left|President Cossiga in his office at [[Quirinal Palace]]]]
Thus, a period of conflict and political controversy began, often provocative and deliberately excessive, and with very strong media exposure. These statements, soon dubbed "''esternazioni''", or "[[mattock]] blows" (''picconate''), were considered by many to be inappropriate for a President,<ref>[http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1991/11/28/bobbio-restera-sotto-le-macerie.html Bobbio: "Cossiga resterà sotto le macerie"]</ref> and often beyond his constitutional powers; also, his mental health was doubted and Cossiga had to declare "I am the fake madman who speaks the truth."<ref name=washingtonpost /> Cossiga suffered from [[bipolar disorder]] and [[Depression (mood)|depression]] in the last years of his life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corriere.it/politica/10_agosto_19/cossiga-medici-da-pasqua-smise-di-giocarci_441afb3e-ab71-11df-94af-00144f02aabe.shtml|title=I medici: da Pasqua smise di curarsi|work=corriere.it|access-date=3 August 2015}}</ref>

Among the statements of the President, there were also allegations of excessive politicization of the [[judiciary system]], and the stigmatization of the fact that young magistrates, who just came into service, were immediately destined for the Sicilian prosecutor to carry out [[Sicilian Mafia|mafia]] proceedings.<ref>''Storia della Prima Repubblica'', parte VI, di Paolo Mieli, 3D produzioni video.</ref>

For his changed attitude, Cossiga received various criticisms from almost every party, with the exception of the [[Italian Social Movement]], which stood beside him in defence of the "picconate". He will, amongst other things, be considered one of the first "cleansers" of MSI, who recognized it as a constitutional and democratic force.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.atuttadestra.net/index.php/archives/24821 |title=Cossiga, Storace: "E' stato il primo sdoganatore del Msi" |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202174514/http://www.atuttadestra.net/index.php/archives/24821 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Revelation of Gladio and resignation===
[[File:Cossiga Yeltsin.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Francesco Cossiga with Russian President [[Boris Yeltsin]], in 1992.]]
Tension developed between Cossiga and Prime Minister [[Giulio Andreotti]]. This tension emerged when Andreotti revealed the existence of [[Gladio]], a [[stay-behind]] organization with the official aim of countering a possible Soviet invasion through sabotage and guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. Cossiga acknowledged his involvement in the establishment of the organization.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-17/francesco-cossiga-italy-s-combative-former-president-dies-at-age-82.html Bloomberg: Francesco Cossiga, Italy's Combative Former President, Dies at Age 82]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.1.835114672|title=Italy: Former president Francesco Cossiga dies at 82 - Adnkronos Politics|work=adnkronos.com|access-date=3 August 2015}}</ref> The [[Democratic Party of the Left]] (successor to the Communist Party) started the procedure of [[impeachment]] (Presidents of Italy can be impeached only for [[high treason]] against the state or for an [[attempt]] to overthrow the [[Constitution of Italy|Constitution]]).<ref>{{in lang|it}} [http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2010-08-18/occhetto-strappo-ricucito-gladio-080415.shtml?uuid=AYS4LiHC Il Sole 24 ore: Occhetto, lo strappo mai ricucito su Gladio]</ref><ref>{{in lang|it}} [http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1991/12/04/il-pds-vota-impeachment-di-cossiga.html La Repubblica: Il PDS vota l'impeachment di Cossiga] (4 December 1991)</ref> Although he threatened to prevent the impeachment procedure by dissolving Parliament, the impeachment request was ultimately dismissed.

Cossiga resigned two months before the end of his term, on 25 April 1992.<ref>{{in lang|it}} [http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1992/04/26/uomo-grigio-prese-il-il.html La Repubblica: E l'uomo grigio prese il piccone] (26 April 1992)</ref> In his last speech as president he stated "To young people I want to say to love the [[fatherland]], to honour the nation, to serve the Republic, to believe in freedom and to believe in our country".<ref>[http://www.rai.it/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-eb96a983-67f5-487c-985d-e46d23da98be.html Cossiga, dimissioni del Presidente]</ref>