Italy: The Snipers of Rome

In Italian politics, Deputies who vote against their own party under the cover of a secret ballot are called snipers —i franchi tiratori. Last week, on an innocuous school-aid bill, the snipers struck. Near midnight, in an emptying chamber, they routed the Center-Left coalition government of Premier Aldo Moro by a vote of 250 to 221. Next day Moro submitted his resignation to President Giuseppe Saragat, who, after conferring with other Italian political leaders, is likely to invite Moro back to start all over again.

It may not, however, be quite the same lineup. For though his supporters predictably deny it, all Italy is sure it knows who led the snipers. It was little Amintore ("Il Motorino") Fanfani, who only a month ago resigned as Foreign Minister because of the political indiscretions of his wife (TIME, Jan. 7).

Fanfani wants to come back as Foreign Minister with an even greater say in coalition policy than he had before.

Scarcely two weeks ago he issued a "friendly warning" to Moro that a full-fledged government crisis might be in the making if the Premier did not pay more heed to the Fanfani wing of the Christian Democrats. That wing controls about 30 votes — the margin that shot down the government last week.