TORIALE. 00 POE Pick ENRICO BERLINGUER, who died on Tuesday, was described by the Sunday Times in 1977 as 'The Marxist with sex. appeal'. He also had the almost unique tribute tor a com. munist Party general secretary that his coffin was accompanied on its journey Padua to Turin by the Italian president Pertini.
To the labour movement in Western Europe Berlinguer was best known for his phrase une COM promise' a proposed Calo cover mellu the Italian Communist (PCI) the Christian Democrats But to the Italian ruling class Berlinguer was the acceptable face of Italian Communism.
The emergence of the PCi trom the resistance movement of the Second War the strongest Communist Party in Western Europe created enormous pro blems for Italian capitalism. …Here was which dominated the trade unions. and the working vote, primary historic allegiance was to Moscow Rome It was not that any serious ruling class circle feared that the PCI in tenced overthrow Italian capitalism. It was pro Moscow party could not Instalea intolt normal funcioning of Italian capitalist politics It left no option but to rely for government soleDemocratic party vistose Christian corruption inefficiency was a permanent public scandal.
The way out of that situation for Italian Colas •a РСІ and a PCI leader, who would decisivel break the PCI from Moscow and attach it directiv to the needs of Italian In Enrico Berlinguer, the Italian ruling class thought they had found their man That is why Pertini, the entire Italian political establishment, so openly honoured Berlinguer.
Actually the press overestimated the general secretary's role. The PCI had embarked on a practical course of 'historic corno se with Italian capitalism invertelesse term nevertheless now dead leader of the Italian Communist Party was a fitting symbol of the proTo be openly publically mourned by the mass of the Italiat population as Berlhas been. would communist leader when the state president mourns vou can be sure something more is involved as well!