Table Of ContentTHE ITALIAN COMMUNIST PARTY, 1976-81
The Italian Communist
Party, 1976-81
On the Threshold of Government
James Ruscoe
© James Ruscoe 1982
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1982 978-0-333-33399-0
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
without permission
First published 1982 by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LT O
London and Basingstoke
Companies and representatives
throughout the world
ISBN 978-1-349-06397-0 ISBN 978-1-349-06395-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-06395-6
Typeset in Great Britain by
PREFACE LTD
Salisbury, Wiltshire
To my father
Contents
List ofTables ix
List ofAbbreviations XI
Introduction
1 Ineluctability 5
2 Il Venti Giugno - the Party Triumphant 32
3 The Party Expectant - its Power, Legitimacy, Finances,
Members, Sympathizers 39
4 Piccoli Passi - the Taking-up of Position 84
5 Revisionism and Riot - 1977 97
6 The Validity of the Historic Compromise - the View
from Inside 110
7 The Victory of Moro 136
8 Moro's Orphans 162
9 The Choice of Opposition 176
10 The Difficulties of a Democratic Alternative 216
Epilogue 251
Postscript 258
Glossary 268
Sources and Bibliography 280
Index 287
vii
List of Tables
2.1 Elections for the Camera of Deputies, 1972 and 1976
(extract) 33
2.2 Elections for the Senate, 1972 and 1976 (extract) 34
2.3 PCI percentage results 1976 by region, with percentage
advance on 1972 and on regionals of 1975 35
3.1 PCI and FGCI membership figures as provided by the
Party Electoral and Statistical Office 72
3.2 Social composition of Party membership, 1971 and
1977 - percentage breakdown 73
3.3 Women asa percentage of total membership, 1972 and
1977 74
3.4 Party membershipdivided inpercentagebyagegroupin
1972 and 1977 74
3.5 Party members as percentages of national occupational
groups 75
3.6 OriginaloccupationalbackgroundofPartyfunctionaries
at federation level in 1976 75
3.7 Social background of PCI parliamentarians (Camera and
Senate) from the Fourth to the Seventh Legislature,
1963-76 76
3.8 Social background of delegates to the federal congresses
of 1972 and 1975 and to the nationalcongresses of 1975
and 1979 77
4.1 Al1ocationofseats, Cameraand Senate, 1972 and 1976,
and effect of possible coalition majorities 91
9.1 Elections for the Eighth Legislature, June 1979 193
9.2 Distribution of parliamentary seats in the Eighth
Legislature 194
9.3 Percentage results in four cities 195
9.4 Results of the 'left area', 1976 and 1979 196
ix
x List ofTables
9.5 Voting in Sardinia, 1974-9 (including three
consultations in 14 days, 3-17 June 1979) 199
9.6 Regional elections, 8June 1980: 15 regions and extract
of 1979 Camera results relative to voting area, 1980 211
9.7 Regional elections, 8 June 1980 and comparison with
regionals 1975; general (Camera) 1979; representative
regions 212
9.8 Communist electoral fortunes in the south, 1975-80 214
10.1 Official indications by parties for referenda, May 1981 236
10.2 Referenda results, May 1981 236
10.3 Local governmentelections, 21 June 1981; Sicilyregion
plus five main cities 238
List of Abbreviations
A Anarchia: Anarchist movement
ACI Azione Cattolica Italiana: Catholic lay organization linked
to DC
ACLI Associazioni Cristiane dei Lavoratori Italiani: Catholic
workers' associations, recreational centres
AGIP Azienda General Italiana dei Petroli: National Italian Oil
Company
ANAS Azienda Nazionale Autonomadella Strada: National Road
Board
ANSA AgenziaNazionale StampaAssociata: ItalianNews Agency
AO Autonomia Operaia: Worker's Autonomy, extreme left
BR Brigate Rosse: Red Brigades
CC Carabinieri: paramilitary gendarmerie
CGIL ConfederazioneGeneraleItalianadiLavoro: PCI-PSIunion
organization
CISL Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Liberi: DC-PSDI union
organization
CISNaL Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Nazionali Liberi: MSI
union organization
CL Comunione e Liberazione: Communion and Liberation,
Catholic charismatic movement
CLN Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale: resistance organiza
tion, in which participated most political parties including
PCI, PSI, and PLI
CPSU Communist Party of the Soviet Union
DC Democrazia Cristiana: Christian Democratic Party
DN Democrazia Nazionale: right-wing splinter group of MSI
formed late 1976 and dissolved 1979
Xl
xii List ofAbbreviations
DP DemocraziaProletaria:left-wing umbrella party forvarious
groupsinelectoralaIliance 1976.By1978 more specificaIly
a party
EEC European Economic Community
ENI Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi: National Hydrocarbons
Corporation
EUR Esposizione Universale di Roma: Rome World Fair, 1942.
Site now conference centres, ministries, luxury suburbs
FdG Fronte della Gioventu: MSI youth front
FGCI Federazione Giovanile Comunista Italiana: PCI youth
organization
FGSI Federazione Giovanile Socialista Italiana: PSI youth
organization
Fiat Fabbrica Italiana Automobile di Torino: the Agnelli
dominated car company
FLM Federazione dei Lavoratori Metalmeccanici: metalworkers
union
FUAN Fronte Universitaria Avanguardia Nazionale: MSI student
organization
FUCI Federazione Universitaria Cattolica Italiana: Catholic/DC
student organization
GdF Guardia di Finanza: Revenue Police
IMF International Monetary Fund
INA Istituto Nazionale Assicurazioni: National Insurance
Service
INAM Istituto Nazionale Assicurazione Malattie: National Health
Insurance Service
IRI Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale: Institute for
Industrial Reconstruction
IVA Importe di Valuta Aggiunta: value added tax
LC Lotta Continua: Continual Struggle, far-left political
grouping, dissolved in 1978
MEC Mercato Europeo Comune: European Economic
Community
MLS Movimento Lavoratori per il Socialismo: far-left political
group
MSI-DN Movimento Sociaie Italiano-Destra Nazionale: Italian
Social Movement, neo-Fascist party
NAP Nuclei Armati Proletari: far-left terrorist group
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NET Nuovo Emmittente Televisiva: New Television, PCI-
