Berlinguer, Enrico

Berlinguer, Enrico
born May 25, 1922, Sassari, Sardinia, Italy
died June 11, 1984, Padua

Italian politician.

Born into a middle-class Sardinian family, he joined the Communist Party in 1943 and held a series of party posts before becoming secretary-general in 1972, a post he would keep until his death. He became a leading advocate of "national communism," seeking independence from Moscow and favouring the adaptation of Marxism to local requirements. His proposal for a coalition government of Christian Democrats and communists was never realized.

* * *

▪ Italian politician
born May 25, 1922, Sassari, Sardinia, Italy
died June 11, 1984, Padua

      secretary-general of the Italian Communist Party (Democrats of the Left) (Partito Comunista Italiano) from March 1972 until his death. He was a leading spokesman for “national communism,” seeking independence from Moscow and favouring the adaptation of Marxism to local requirements.

      Berlinguer was born into a middle-class Sardinian family. His father, a socialist, became a deputy and later senator. The son became a Communist Party member in 1943 and was put in charge of the Young Communists in his hometown of Sassari. In 1944 he took part in demonstrations against Italy's Fascist regime, was arrested, and spent three months in jail. After the war he continued as an organizer of communist youth in Milan and then Rome, becoming a member of the party's Central Committee in 1945 and of the party executive in 1948.

      Berlinguer held a series of posts within the party, both in Rome and in Sardinia, before being elected assistant secretary in 1969 and secretary general in 1972. As secretary-general of the largest communist organization in western Europe, Berlinguer frequently declared his readiness to take an active part in government in what he termed a “historic compromise” between Christian Democrats and Communists. Although his proposal for such a coalition government was never fully realized, Berlinguer did wield considerable influence as a popular national figure and as leader of a party that controlled many local governments nationwide. In 1976 he was invited to serve in a formal consultative role to the prime minister—the first time in 15 years that an Italian communist had held such a position—and in 1979 he became a member of the European Parliament. Under his leadership, the number of votes for the Italian Communist Party peaked.

      In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Berlinguer found himself increasingly at odds with the communist government of the Soviet Union. During this period he repeatedly proclaimed his support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and denounced Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Berlinguer, Enrico — (1922–1984)    Born in Sardinia to a family of minor aristocrats, Berlinguer joined the Partito Comunista Italiano/Italian Communist Party (PCI) at 21 and became active in the local youth section and in antifascist activity. At the end of 1944,… …   Historical Dictionary of modern Italy

  • Berlinguer, Enrico Sassari — (1922–1984)    A leading Eurocommmunist and figure in the Italian Communist Party (PCI) Berlinguer is particularly associated with the “historic compromise” with the Italian Christian Democrats. Born in Sardinia he joined the resistance to the… …   Historical dictionary of Marxism

  • Berlinguer, Enrico — ► (1922 84) Político italiano. Miembro del comité central en 1945, secretario general de las juventudes comunistas en 1949 56 y vicesecretario general del Partido en 1968 72. En 1972 ocupó la secretaría general del Partido Comunista Italiano. Fue …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Berlinguer — Berlinguer, Enrico …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Enrico Berlinguer — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Enrico Berlinguer (IPA [berliŋ gwɛr]) (25 de mayo de 1922 – 11 de junio de 1984) fue un político italiano, secretario general del Partido Comunista Italiano (PCI) desde 1972 hasta su muerte. Contenido …   Wikipedia Español

  • Berlinguer — Enrico Berlinguer Enrico Berlinguer (API [berliŋ gwɛr]) (né le 25 mai 1922 à Sassari, en Sardaigne mort le 11 juin 1984 à Padoue, en Vénétie) était un homme politique italien, secrétaire général du Parti communiste italien de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • BERLINGUER (E.) — BERLINGUER ENRICO (1922 1984) Né à Sassari en Sardaigne, d’une famille anoblie en 1773, acquise aux idées libérales son père, avocat, fut sénateur socialiste jusqu’en 1968 , Enrico Berlinguer commence des études de droit que la guerre va… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Berlinguer — (izg. berlinguȇr), Enrico (1922 1984) DEFINICIJA talijanski političar, generalni sekretar KP Italije od 1972; zagovornik »eurokomunizma«, »povijesnog kompromisa«, najdosljedniji kritičar politike SSSR a među zapadnoeuropskim komunističkim vođama …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • Berlinguer — (Enrico) (1922 1984) secrétaire général du parti communiste italien (1972 1984). Il prôna le compromis historique (V. Italie) …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Enrico — /en ree koh/; It. /en rddee kaw/, n. a male given name: Italian form of Henry. * * * (as used in expressions) Berlinguer Enrico Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito Caruso Enrico Dandolo Enrico Fermi Enrico Enrico Nicola Mancini * * * …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”