MODERN TIMES
By referendum in 1946 r. the Italian Republic was proclaimed, and Democrazia Christiana (DC) under the leadership of Alcide de Gasperi, formed a government. He remained in power until 1953 r.. supported by a number of coalitions. From that moment on, the short lifespan of successive governments became the norm.; political instability reflects sharp divisions between rural and urban regions of Italy and between north and south. A strong manufacturing base and high-commodity farming have provided the northern population with a higher standard of living than ever before, but the south still lags far behind. despite taking actions such as the creation of v 1950 r. Cassa del Mezzogiorno. agency for. south development, which was to provide much needed funding for the region.
In the 1950s, Italy became one of the leading industrialized countries, and thanks to the activities of big companies such as Fiat and Olivetti, the gross national income has doubled. and industrial production has tripled. American financial aid was an important factor in development, as well as a large workforce, largely derived from the villages of the south.
At first, DC collaborated with other right-wing parties, but in 1963 r "due to the increased politicization of skilled workers, it was forced to share power with the Italian Socialist Party for the first time (PSI). Aldo Moro was the politician largely responsible for the negotiations with the socialists, the dominant figure in Italian political life in the sixties. He has served as prime minister since 1963 do 1968 r "in a period of economic turmoil caused by inflation and withdrawal by wealthy citizens, terrified of PSI's rise to power, hold sum z runku. The decade has ended with autunno caldo” (hot autumn) 1969 r "when the country was paralyzed by strikes and demonstrations.
In the seventies, things got even worse: bankruptcies increased, inflation reached the level of twenty percent and unemployment increased exponentially, which was particularly troublesome in a country without a social welfare system. There were more extreme forms of riots, initially incited by the far right, almost certainly responsible for planting the bomb, which in 1969 r. killed sixteen people in Milan. Neo-fascist terrorism continued for the next decade, reaching a disgusting climax in the bombing of Bologna railway station in 1980 r "as a result of which they died 84 persons. The most active group was Brigate Rossa (The Red Brigades). They were founded in 1970 r. in Milan and reached the pinnacle of their infamous reputation eight years later, after the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro himself. The great police action in the early 1980s smashed most of the Red Brigades. but a few fanatical splinter groups still exist and made their mark with the assassination of the Prime Minister's assistant 1988 r.
And yet the Christian Democratic government survived, m in. thanks to the so-called. "A historic compromise” z Enrico Berlin-guerem, leader of the Italian Communist Party. As a result of this arrangement, the communists, who won the elections 34 percentage of votes, three percent less than the Christian Democrats agreed to abstain from voting in parliament, that there could be a government of national unity. This pact was withdrawn in 1979 r.. and after Berlinguer's death in 1984 r. the communist party's share of the vote fell to 27 percent - however, it remains the second most popular party in Italy and seems to be recovering under the leadership of a new leader. Achille Occhetto. So far, the Communists have never entered any national government., but they exercise power in many cities and exert a constant influence on the shape of national politics.
In its efforts to remove the Communist Party from power, DC was forced to accept the demands made by small groups., such as the Radical Party, which in the elections in 1979 r. won eighteen parliamentary seats — one of which went to former porn star La Cicciolina. What's more, DC's reputation was severely damaged in the early 1980s as a result of a series of scandals, especially the scandal related to the activities of the P2 Masonic Lodge. when links were discovered between corrupt bankers, leading DC officials and fanatical right-wing groups. As a result of the decline in popularity, DC was forced to offer the premiership to politicians from other parties. W 1981 r. Giovanni Spadolini of the Republican Party became the first non-DC prime minister in Italy's post-war history, a w 1983 r. Bettino Craxi was appointed first prime minister of the Italian Socialist Party. Although in 1987 r., after four years of rule, he resigned and the veteran Giulio Andreotti became the head of the government (who was already the prime minister twice in the seventies). Craxi remains the most powerful figure among the leaders of the Italian parties, a person admired by some, and despised by others as "macher” from Italian politics. Under his leadership, the PSI gradually gained more support from voters, bringing it to the current level of fifteen percent.
Even during the period of destabilization in the 1970s, the Italian economy continued to increase performance and the country is now obsessed with II Sorpasso. that is, surpassing France and Great Britain in the field of economics. There is disagreement among appraisers about this. whether II Sorpasso has already been reached (most believe, that no), but calculations are hampered by enormous tax avoidance and other illegal financial transactions in Italy. It is true that all classes of society feel sorry for the government's money, but in this economia sommersa (submerged economy) the mafia is leading. However, despite the mafia's activities, Italy has established itself as an economic superpower.