Giuseppe Saragat (; 19 September 1898 – 11 June 1988) was an Italian politician and statesman who served as President of Italy from 1964 to 1971.
Early and personal life
Saragat was born on 19 September 1898 in Turin, in the region of Piedmont, to Sardinian parents Giovanni Saragat (1855–1938), of Catalan descent, and Ernestina Stratta (1872–1965). He had an older brother, Eugenio "Ennio" (1897–1929), and a younger brother, Pietro (1899–1938). His grandfather's surname was originally Saragattu-Mulinas, but was later shortened.
Graduating in accountancy in 1915, Saragat took part in World War I as an artillery lieutenant of the Royal Italian Army on the Karst Plateau. After the war, he graduated in Economy and Commerce from the University of Turin in 1920, and became employed in banking.
thumb|200px|Saragat in the 1940s
In 1944, Saragat had been a minister without portfolio and ambassador in Paris from 1945 to 1946, before he was appointed president of the Constituent Assembly of Italy that same year upon the establishment of the Italian Republic. He was minister of foreign affairs in the Moro I Cabinet and Moro II Cabinet, headed by Christian Democracy leader Aldo Moro from 1963 to late 1964, when he was chosen as President of the Italian Republic. His election demonstrated a rare instance of unity among the Italian left and followed rumours of a possible neo-fascist coup, Piano Solo, during Antonio Segni's presidency.
Saragat died in Rome, Lazio, on 11 June 1988. An atheist,
Electoral history
{|class=wikitable style="width:60%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"
|-
! width=12%|Election
! width=30%|House
! width=40%|Constituency
! width=5% colspan="2"|Party
! width=12%|Votes
! width=12%|Result
|-
! 1946
| Constituent Assembly
| Rome–Viterbo–Latina–Frosinone
| bgcolor="" |
| PSIUP
| 29,981
|
|-
! 1948
| Chamber of Deputies
| Turin–Novara–Vercelli
| bgcolor="" |
| US
| 31,988
|
|-
! 1953
| Chamber of Deputies
| Turin–Novara–Vercelli
| bgcolor="" |
| PSDI
| 16,833
| Elected
|-
! 1958
| Chamber of Deputies
| Turin–Novara–Vercelli
| bgcolor="" |
| PSDI
| 12,484
| Elected
|-
! 1963
| Chamber of Deputies
| Turin–Novara–Vercelli
| bgcolor="" |
| PSDI
| 24,539
| Elected
|}
Presidential elections
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:right
|-
!colspan=5|1964 presidential election
|-
!colspan=2|Candidate
!Supported by
!Votes
!%
|-
|bgcolor=""|
|align=left|Giuseppe Saragat
|align=left|PSDI, DC, PSI, PCI, PRI
|646
|67.1
|-
|bgcolor=""|
|align=left|Gaetano Martino
|align=left|PLI
|56
|5.8
|-
|bgcolor=""|
|align=left|Augusto De Marsanich
|align=left|MSI, PDIUM
|40
|4.1
|-
|bgcolor=""|
|align=left colspan=2|Others / Invalid votes
|185
|19.2
|-
|align=left colspan=3|Total
|927
|100.0
|}