This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003758 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2015 
TAGS: PGOV PREF PREL PTER IT ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: GOI: FRENCH-STYLE RIOTS NOT SHORT TERM ISSUE 
 
REF: A. ROME 3137 
     ¶B. ROME 3179 
     ¶C. ROME 3204 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David Pearce for reasons 1. 
4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Italian politicians and the media have closely 
followed the riots in France, inevitably asking the question 
as to whether the Italian periphery could also burn. Ministry 
of Interior Giuseppe Pisanu told the media November 13, "The 
Italian peripheries are not comparable to the Parisian 
banlieu," BUT "if we do not soon control illegal immigration 
and properly administer legal immigration, we, too, will cry 
because of revolts in the suburbs." Ministry of Interior 
Under Secretary Alfredo Montavano told Pol M/C that Italy 
does not face an immediate risk of a revolt in city suburbs. 
He continued that immigration to Italy is a relatively new 
phenomenon, and that Italy does not have large immigrant 
ghettos like in France.  Montavano added that Italy needs to 
integrate its growing immigrant community in order to avoid 
similar problems in the long term. 
 
¶2. (C) Center-Left leader and candidate for Prime Minister 
Romano Prodi sparked controversy when he told the press that 
Italy was at an immediate risk of similar violence and called 
Italy's periphery "the worst suburbs in Europe."  Other 
Center-Left politicians immediately distanced themselves from 
Prodi's comments.  Claudio Ligas, former spokesman for 
Massimo D'Alema, told Poloff that Prodi's comment was a 
"gaffe."  He said Italy does not face an immediate threat of 
rioting from unintegrated minorities, but criticized the 
government for not doing more to integrate Italy's immigrants. 
 
¶3. (C) COMMENT:  Immigration to Italy is relatively new, and 
most immigrants are first and second generation.  Though many 
settle in the "periphery" of Italy's major urban centers, 
Italian cities do not contain large and sprawling immigrant 
ghettos, like in France.  As noted in REFTELs, both Italy's 
left and right are struggling to develop an approach to 
integrating Italy's new arrivals.  We agree that large-scale 
riots among the immigrant community are not likely in the 
near future, but are concerned that Muslim extremists could 
find refuge in a growing and disaffected community.  The 
French riots have increased awareness of the importance of 
developing a comprehensive policy for integrating Italy's 
immigrants.  END COMMENT. 
SPOGLI