In 1971, Amintore Fanfani was proposed as Christian Democracy's candidate for the Presidency of the Republic.
However his candidacy was weakened by the divisions within his own party and the candidacy of the socialist Francesco De Martino, who received votes from PCI, PSI and some PSDI members.
Fanfani retired after several unsuccessful ballots and, at the twenty-second round, Leone was selected as the Christian democratic candidate for the presidency, being slightly preferred to Aldo Moro.
At the twenty third round he was finally elected with a centre-right majority, with 518 votes out of 996, including those of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI).
Leone's majority was the narrowest one ever obtained by an elected President and with twenty-three rounds of voting the 1971 presidential election remains still today the longest presidential election in the Italian republican history.

Leone's presidency was considered quite revolutionary for the role held by his wide, Vittoria.
Before her, the wife of the Italian presidents had always been on the sidelines, not involved in the Italian political life.
However, Vittoria Leone completely changed this role and had been widely regarded as the most prominent first lady of the Italian Republic.

During his presidency, he had to face an extremely complex political and social situation.
Already in the first months of the seven-year term, he had to approve the early dissolution of the Chambers, for the first time since the birth of the Republic.
This decision was taken by Leone with the approval of most of the political parties, but it was accompanied by the choice to entrust the management of the electoral phase, not to the resigning coalition government of Emilio Colombo, but to a one-party government led by Giulio Andreotti.
For this choice, Leone was heavily criticised by the opposition.
With a total of 152 votes in favor and 158 against, the government did not gain the confidence of the Senate and was forced to resign after only 9 days.

After Andreotti's resignation in July 1973, Leone gave to Mariano Rumor the task of forming a new centre-left cabinet, which however lasted only a year, when, in November, Aldo Moro became once again Prime Minister.
During Moro's two-years rule, the DC tried to open a dialogue with the PCI of Enrico Berlinguer, in a political phase known as Historic Compromise, with the aim of bringing the communists into the government's majority.
Leone, as a member of the party's right-wing, did not approve Moro's move, however he never openly opposed it.
In 1971, Amintore Fanfani was proposed as Christian Democracy's candidate for the Presidency of the Republic. However his candidacy was weakened by the divisions within his own party and the candidacy of the socialist Francesco De Martino, who received votes from PCI, PSI and some PSDI members. Fanfani retired after several unsuccessful ballots and, at the twenty-second round, Leone was selected as the Christian democratic candidate for the presidency, being slightly preferred to Aldo Moro. At the twenty third round he was finally elected with a centre-right majority, with 518 votes out of 996, including those of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI). Leone's majority was the narrowest one ever obtained by an elected President and with twenty-three rounds of voting the 1971 presidential election remains still today the longest presidential election in the Italian republican history.
Leone's presidency was considered quite revolutionary for the role held by his wide, Vittoria. Before her, the wife of the Italian presidents had always been on the sidelines, not involved in the Italian political life. However, Vittoria Leone completely changed this role and had been widely regarded as the most prominent first lady of the Italian Republic.
During his presidency, he had to face an extremely complex political and social situation. Already in the first months of the seven-year term, he had to approve the early dissolution of the Chambers, for the first time since the birth of the Republic. This decision was taken by Leone with the approval of most of the political parties, but it was accompanied by the choice to entrust the management of the electoral phase, not to the resigning coalition government of Emilio Colombo, but to a one-party government led by Giulio Andreotti. For this choice, Leone was heavily criticised by the opposition. With a total of 152 votes in favor and 158 against, the government did not gain the confidence of the Senate and was forced to resign after only 9 days.
After Andreotti's resignation in July 1973, Leone gave to Mariano Rumor the task of forming a new centre-left cabinet, which however lasted only a year, when, in November, Aldo Moro became once again Prime Minister. During Moro's two-years rule, the DC tried to open a dialogue with the PCI of Enrico Berlinguer, in a political phase known as Historic Compromise, with the aim of bringing the communists into the government's majority. Leone, as a member of the party's right-wing, did not approve Moro's move, however he never openly opposed it.
Giovanni Leone