DEBATES "IEFT~OF-CENTER" GOVERNMENT
By Sirio Di Giuliomaria
ROME == Two sessions of the Central Committee of the Italian Communist party were called in October within ten days, The first was chiefly devoted to discussing the Italian political situation. It revealed fresh differences within the. leadership, The second session, which was not reported in L'Unita, the daily newspaper of the Italian Communist party, unanimously passed a resolution, after brief discussion, on the problems of the international Communist movement.
The first session, October 14-16, discussed a report made by Barca in behalf of the party's National Secretariat. After offering a survey of the domestic economic situation, the reporter concentrated on the short-term political prospects with special emphasis on the formation of a new "left-. of-center" government in which participation of the Italian Socialist party is envisaged, _
The Italian CP had viewed the previous left-of-center government | (headed by Fanfani) rather tepidly. Barca again took the same attitude, stating that "it is not the left-of-center formule in itself which should be discussed and not even the principle of government collaboration between. the Socialist party and the Christian Democratic party" (the strongest bourgeois party in Italy). Such a government, he said, ought to be judged in the light of its attitude toward the real current questions facing it, since "Communists have never considered formulas to be more important than real questions,"
Confining himself to this axis, the reporter did not venture beyond -speculation over the likely concessions to be expected from the Socialist party and the possibility of defeating the plans of the Christian Democra~ tic party and assuring "a positive outcome to the present political crisis," (The nature of a "positive outcome" was left conveniently vague by the reporter, ) . . . ;
A vather lively debate followed. Occhetto, the National Secretary of the Communist Youth, attacked Barca's report from a leftist position, Other members of the Central Committee followed with similar criticisms, Out of twenty-three who spoke, at least nine clearly stood to the left, seven just as clearly defended the report, while the others expressed indecision or | confined their remarks to particular questions, No member of the National Secretariat took the floor, This tactic was possibly agreed upon. beforehand.
Among those who criticized the report from the left were “leaders ‘of. important unions (textile workers and agricultural laborers), the vice~ editor of LtUnita, party leaders from important cities like Milan, Turin and Rome.. The la at to take the floor was Natoli, a member of parliament from Rome. His. criticism was probably the ‘sharpest.
‘tThere is a point in Barcats ‘report in. the..final part of his political conclusions which does not convince me," he said. "It is a point in which. I find the echo of some of our old reasoning which today looks as anachron« istic to me.-= and which I think, therefore, should not be advanced again == as if nothing had happened during the past year and a half, This point was included in the section of the report dealing with the left-of-center question, where the reporter stated that it is not the lefteof-center form ula which should be discussed but ---in the immediate future as in the past -- the substance of the program hidden under the formula, JI do not agree with this,"
After these introductory remarks, Natoli stated that it is wrong to -wait and see; the program of the nex ct left-of-center government will offer no- surprises and it is therefore necessary to step up the struggle to defeat. the leading group of the Christian Democratic party. This would by no means signify "a leap into the dark," but the opening of a political . erisis which would offer new roads and occasions for fighting for the —~ majority. ,
. Up to this point, l'Unita's report was clear, However a small fumble occurred in connection with the press release about Barca'ts summary. This summary; in which Barca attacked his critics, was marked by a shift still further to the right. Ail the newspapers reported it except Liunita.
(For instance, Avanti, daily newspaper of the Socialist party, quoted the following from Baroats’ summary: “While we must fight against the plan of the Christian Democratic leadership, we should not slip into the idea of completely rejecting the left-of-center experience, since this would create a Vacuum that would likely be filled with a ‘conservative line." Avanti utilized the opportunity to point out the contradiction between this statement and the CP criticism of Socialist party participation in the govern= © ment, .The Socialist. party has always justified its support of left-of-center governments with arguments similar to those used by Barca,)
What had happened? After Barca! s summary, Spano, one of the members
a2 La of the Central Committee, took the floor to ask whether Barca'ts_ vemarks:’; were going to be published, ‘He warned that publication might create aitPto culties for:the left wing. of: the Socialist.party which is fighting against the line of participating in the government and preparing to carry the. we fight to. the congress of the. Socialist party scheduled for the end of. the month.
A new discussion. broke out and Togliatti himself took the floor to try to smooth out the most embarrassing point in Barca'ts summary. The decision was that the press release reporting Barca's summary would be drafted on the basis of Togliatti's speech, Great was the surprise, after this discussion, when. it. was. learned that a’ release reporting Barca's true Summary had already been’ handed to the press, . .. Lo.
Since most of. ‘the time ‘available had been. used- up in the: discussion: . over how to handle.the. press releasé, no time was left to discuss the resox lution on the problems of the international Communist movement. A new ses~ sion was therefore called after a few days to ‘record. a. vote. PLT - “The: resolution that was thus: passed repeats the arguments: ‘used. up to. now by: the Italian. CP in reply to the criticisms. levelled by the Chinese. Communist. party. A noticeable characteristic of the. document is. the = effort to use only political arguments -~ they are quite unconvincing -- © and to avoid using the language of abuse. Here and there the positions of ~the Chinese are counterfeited and the attacks follow the Khrushchevist line. The only novelty is the reserve. expressed in the conclusion over the pro=-: . posal to. call an international conference of Communist parties, At this. stage, it. is argued, such a.conference could lead only.to further sharpen=-— ing of differences and even a split or to a purely formal end therefore unsatisfactory compromise.
What is the” significa nee of the October sessions of the Central Committee of the Italian Communist party? Before this year's elections were held, when the left-of-center government was.viewed.as an experiment pending a decision: on whether. or not to incorporate the Socialist party, the Togliatti leadership was able to check the opposition which began to shape up in the CP with vague criticisms and a “wait and see” policy,: This is no longer sufficient, especially in view of the decision certain to be adopted at the. Socialist party congress, -
“The fact that ‘the Togliatti leadership - is unable -to offer an alterna= tive policy.creates dissatisfaction that strengthens critical views. To this must be added the influence of the Sino-Soviet polemics, A part of the © deftist opposition can form Links with the Chinese,