To save the Republic or to save a man? The question of negotiating with terrorists and media coverage during the Affair Moro

This dissertation will cover the topics of Moro’s kidnapping and subsequent argument on whether to negotiate his freedom with the terrorist group called Red Brigades or not. Moreover, the media coverage of the events will be also analyzed. In the first chapter the concept of terrorism will be introduced in all its aspects and an historical overview on the Years of Lead in Italy will be given, and the Red Brigades will be also analyzed in their characteristics and functioning. We will then broadly cover the topic of negotiation including, on the one hand, the processes and reasons for negotiating with terrorists and, on the other hand, why negotiation with such entities should not be pursued. Moreover, a general overview of how negotiation works between States will be carried out as well. In the third chapter, the “Affaire Moro” will be examined: we will look at the events of the kidnapping and death of Moro, and the discussion on whether to negotiate with the terrorists or not will be reported by analyzing two main newspapers: the “Avanti!” and the “Corriere della Sera”. The timeframe of the kidnapping will be split into two: a first phase of inflexible firmness and a second phase characterized by the Socialists’ break. Finally, we will see if and how such event has influenced Italy’s school of thought concerning negotiation with non-state entities, in particular terrorists, and we will discuss the European Union’s role in the fight against terrorism.