1972 Italian Special Presidential Election

Indirect presidential elections were held in Italy on April 10, 1972 to elect the 2nd State President of Italy. It was the first time an election was held in the nation after the 1970 coup. Initially, councilman Almirante presented his candidacy under the National Party, representing a moderate right wing position, and Borghese attempted to run by preserving his hardline positions.

Following institutional reforms that began in early 1971, the parliamentary system was removed in favour of a presidential one, due to frequent failures of previous governing coalitions to effectively rule for more than one year, and public discontent arose because of increasing political instability, but also because of the consolidation of far-left and far-right terrorist organizations. Because of the suspension of the bicameral parliament, a new assembly was formed under the name of "Executive Directorate" under the promulgation of Decree 550. Members were handpicked from selected commissioners, sent by the government. After this, the new elecotral and presidential reforms were passed, and the president was to be elected indirectly through a new body named the "Presidential Electoral College" with members being chosen by the ruling èlite.

Background
As the political situation worsened starting from 1961, discontent began to grow among the population about rising political instability. The failure of center-left government coalitions and a lack of strategy against terrorism led to the assassination of a promintent politician, Aldo Moro, by far-left organizations. On the opposite side, ideas for a plot started to rise and culminated with the 1970 coup, which was successful. The United States supported the conspiracy as an effort to contain communism in the country and for a political push against Yugoslavia, with the Trieste question, still unresolved.

After the coup, Borghese was appointed as Prime Minister by the State Order Council, a governing organ affiliated with the military, which was then dissolved after the election of Almirante in 1972. He made several reforms to the judicial system to inflict maximum losses to the Red Brigades, far-left terrorists which were armed and supported by the Soviet Union that also ditched the PCI in favour of the people's protracted war, which the RB supported. However, they gained significant losses after 1971, and were further weakened in 1972 with Borghese reforms. Key political activists, mainly from the communist and socialist side, were all arrested and detained in special prisons. Regarding the economic field, Borghese was influenced by Pino Rauti to reform the economy to a corporative system, a first step to "restore the fascist regime", as written by Rauti memoris. However, many of these economic policies were blocked by Almirante, which was more liberal, and adhered to Milton Freidman monetarist theories.

Tensions between Borghese and the SOC grew, until agents of the Military Informative Service breached inside Borghese house and detained him for 48 hours. The move was suspected to be ordered on behalf of Almirante. Borghese invoked a special presidential election in 1972, as a response to his opponent provocations. As many expected Borghese to win, Almirante won with moderates almost 60% of the votes, consolidating his views over the neo-fascist ones of Borghese.

Aftermath
Almirante was sworn in as President of Italy on 11 April 1972, while Borghese escaped in Spain on 7 May. His passport was revoked on May 6, however he was already on route. He returned in Italy in 1975, to be then captured by MIS agents and executed in a small street of Rome on March 5, 1982 when Almirante left the presidency two years prior.