Giulio Andreotti and the European balance

There has never been anyone like him in the history of the Italian Republic. A holder of public office since 1946, seven times Prime Minister and thirty-two times minister, Giulio Andreotti, who died in 2013 at the age of 94, has been the embodiment of power. Thanks to his extraordinary political longevity and record-breaking numbers, great attention has developed around him. Evidence of this is provided by a number of interesting historiographical works, which have been published especially after his death, and by the authentic cinematic case represented by Paolo Sorrentino's Il Divo. The very recent publication of his Secret Diaries, relating to the decade 1979-1989, has also contributed to shed new light on Andreotti's natural political vocation: diplomacy. In his opinion, it was essential for the development of solid international relations and for the enhancement of Italy's geopolitical peculiarities, respecting the bipolar dialectic, Atlantic loyalty and above all the European balance. The main goal of this paper is therefore to retrace Andreotti's activity in defense of the overall stability of the Old Continent, analyzing the distinctive features and inspirational motives of this policy of balance.