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survive," ltalians confidently assert,
as they go about
~hei r
business.
The Search f o r Good Government
But most Jtalians would like to do
more than merely
survive.
Under the superficial gaiety is a
yearning to deal effective–
ly with the country's
growing list of ills, to find
a way to free themselves
from the chaos.· that has
long gripped l taly. Ital–
ians would naturally like
to have a sounder econo–
my, a stronger govern–
ment and a larger role in
international affairs. They
have never liked living in
a disorderly country.
The late Luigi Barzini,
ltaly's celebrated journal–
ist and author of the best–
sclling books
The Jtalians
and
The Europeans,
has observed:
" ltalian history could in fact be
interpreted as a vain and sickening
search for
11 Buongoverno
[good
government] down the centuries."
lt is clear the ltalians have not
yet found it. The average life span
of an ltalian government is less
than a year. SiJeie 1945, Italy has
had
more than
.V
governments!
The reason?
ltaly has
eight
nationwide politi–
cal parties, most d ivided internally.
No one party is strong enough to
command a clear ..majority. Govern–
ment must
ther~fore
be carried out
by
coal ition-fi~gile,
short-lived
alliances of parties. The situation is
inherently unstable.
ltaly's major party is the Chris–
tian Democrat ic Party, which has
ruled ltaly, alone or in coal ition,
since 1945. 1t ga,rnered 32 percent
12
of the vote in the June
)983 general elections. At
this writing it is in part–
nership with the Socialist
Party (
11
percent of the
vote). Troubled by intra–
par ty divisions, the Chris–
tian Democrats have al–
lowed Social ist leader
Bettino C raxi to have lta–
ly's premiers hip while
they sort out their inter–
na] affairs.
Lack of a strong and
efficient central govern–
ment is high on the list of
Italians' complaints. Politician–
baiting is a national spor t in Italy.
Plans to strengthen the govern–
ment's execut ive powers have
failed. A weak federal government
is widely viewed as Italy's greatest
liability. But tbere are others, such
as flagrant corruption and an inept
and swollen bu reaucracy, which
ltalians mock as
Jacci e laccioli,
"shackles and snares."
Indi vi dualismo
As they view the disorder of a rud–
derless government led by weak,
sometimes incompetent politicians,
many ltalians hanker after a firm
hand to guide them. The growing
mudd le is engendering calls for a
more authori tarian government.
This is not a call for a return to
fascism or an experiment with com–
munist rule, but for
any
govern–
ment that will function effectively.
The once-formidable Italian Com–
munist Party has been pushed to
the sidelines in recent years. Italy's
small neofascist Italian Social
Movement won only 6.8 percent of
the vote in 1983.
In the meantime, life goes on in
spite of the government.
Jtaly's strengths and weaknesses
reside in the c haracter of her
people. The ltalians are flexible,
resourceful. They have tended to
adapt
to crises rather than
so/ve
them. T hey are the first to admit
that they are a nat ion with a history
of running from problems.
ltalians realize it is pointless to
expect anything from a government
that does not function.
If
they can–
not count on their government,
Italians know they can count on
individua/ism~thei r
own individ–
ual strength- and
familismo,
fam–
ily togetherness.
ltalians have a highly developed
sense of personal responsibility.
T hei r allegiances are first to their
families, then possibly to their cit–
ies. These allegiances are what keep
life going and what hold the coun–
try together. T his ltalian individu–
alism was exemplifi ed by Renais-
The
PLAIN TRUTH