Giulio Andreotti

Andreotti was born in Rome in January 1919 and graduated from the Law Department of the University of Rome in 1941. In 1938, Andreotti, who was studying in college, met Archde Gaselli, a veteran of the Catholic Democratic Party who later became the first Italian Prime Minister after World War II. He began a political career and quickly became Gaselli's right-hand man. In 1945, Gaselli became the first Prime Minister of Italy after the war. In 1947, Andreotti became Gaselli's chief of staff and was the prime minister's main assistant and spokesperson for coordinating relations between various ministries. At the time, Andreotti was only 28 years old.

He has been a member of the Italian Legislative Assembly since 1945: from the provisional National Consultative Council to the Constituent Assembly; from 1948 to 1991, he was a member of the Italian Parliament, and Andreotti was one of the representatives of the Italian Catholic Democratic Party. He served as Prime Minister of Italy seven times and as Minister of Defense eight times, among other ministerial positions. In terms of domestic policy, he advocated a strategy of alliance with the Socialist Party and dialogue with the Communist Party. External emphasis was placed on strengthening relations with the United States, supporting "NATO" and supporting European unity; advocating the realization of political integration and common economic development; endorsing "North-South Dialogue" and supporting increased aid from developed countries to underdeveloped countries. In 1992, he was appointed Senator for Life by the then president. He was detained in May 1993 after his immunity was revoked by the Senate for suspected mafia ties. He died in Rome on May 6, 2013, at the age of 94.

After the war, the Italian government changed frequently. So far, no party has been able to obtain more than half of the votes alone. Most governments are coalition governments, and they will falter if there is any wind.

In 1972, Andreotti became prime minister for the first time. After only nine days in office, the government became a caretaker government due to the dissolution of parliament. In this context, to reach the top of power requires not only keen political insight, but also sophistication in dealing with the world. Andreotti can be regarded as a master of this field.

He used to be the most popular politician in Italy. Back then, a farmer in a certain constituency had only two last words before his death, one was "Don't sell your family's land" and the other was "Vote for Andreotti."

Andreotti is known for being loyal to his constituents. He often wrote letters or phone calls to voters, met with the poor on Sundays, and distributed bread. This canny political strategy won him solid support, allowing him to win more votes than any other Italian politician. A farmer in his district had only two last words before he died, one saying,"Don't sell your family's land" and the other saying,"Vote for Andreotti." Even during his trial in the 1990s, he was Italy's most popular politician.

Andreotti is surrounded by a lot of third-rate figures, including former fascists, boxers, and some former lawbreakers. When asked why he chose these bad guys as his political allies, Andreotti once said, "Trees need fertilizer to grow." People around him have all kinds of problems, but he doesn't seem to care.

To Italians, Andreotti is a name that is more familiar than ever. He has been active in Italian politics since the end of World War II. Until 1992, when the last Andreotti government resigned, he had been in Italian politics for more than 40 years, serving as minister 33 times and prime minister 7 times.

Since he first entered the government in 1947, Andreotti has been an unavoidable figure in Italian political life, so much so that many Italians compare him with Caesar, the great politician of ancient Rome.