right-wing government.
the clections to silence internal opposition.
Communist Party (PCI) ended account in Rone on t And gs it nade begun in distlusionment and depression.
However, the extended preparatory debate had indicaled a promising congress. In dISCUSSiOn Torums l'Unita and Rinascita, but also largely in the bourgeois press in therers, he deep dissand form articles and faction of many rank and file militante and cadres found free expression.
There is a crisis of identity for worker milants cauchi sn the dilemma between demands of the austerity policy which the party defends and the obstinate refusal of the Italian workers to meel The coss Bl cap talist waste.
And there is a strategic crisis for the Eurocommunists" who WHEN Italy goes to the polls on 3 June it will be | happen is putting it mildly. It concerned above all with the record of the Italian Communist Party. The party is likely to lose votes as a result of its policy of historic compromise with the HENRI WEBER looks back at the Communist Party's recent congress to see how its leaders are using compromise. but are still waiting for the pay-off in terms workers" production and investments.
This growing rank and file disillusionment, the of setbacks, South, reflected in tions, pressure certain sectors of the trade union movement finally made the PCI leadership decide to go ahead and leave the governmental majority in January.
Is this a long-term retreat into opposition or the interlude before re entering the corridors of power in force? In theory it was up to the isth congress to decide after a lang political halance sheet of two Andreotti government.
was opportune that the decision to leave the governmental months before the congress opened.
This forthcoming election, a decisive test for the party in which it risks losing the ground won in 1975-76. This was the time not for sell-criticism everyone to do their bit.
The three hour introductory tenort tell no doubt on this control over score. To the delegates who anxiously asked who out of the Christian Democracy and the PCI was running circies round whom, by clec- secretary replied bably: *1 we had to do it all again we would. The party was right enter majority in 1975-76. It was right to leave in January 1979 can certainly a mere inadequacies and errors.
*The temporary impasse in the policy of national unity is the faull of Democrats who have sacriticed overriding national interests lIse for the preservation of their own private interests.
The PCI shows patience and just three ment.
placed the congress the shadow of the parties in figures: but for of votes cast.
cent].
1,915,000 general cent]imperturVOVCTHNELEIN the Christian proceedings all the weeded out in the cell.
while the of made up of delegates Nanterre, for Instance, Corbeilcongress discussiens.
live in or near London.
clearly response positive balance-sheet real issue for the dissident which hac slovak CP, ESTION Stalinist. made sharp crificisms of the tires.
and Fastern Europe the most an exemplary statesmanlike attitude. It therefore demands full participation in governthis forthcoming, the Communists intervention in opposition will exercise a Communist the THE three 'Eurocommunist Gramsci *France, 700,000 members; 5,787,436 volers (20.6 per cent *Haly, 1,800.000 members; 12,620,309 voters [34.4 per oppose *Spain, 300,000 members;
voters [10.9 per authority place feminist movement has faced since international Womens Day on & March.
'Not tbe Mosque, not the state delegation of British women to visit Iran, The delegation & beins Thursday at 6,00pm R13 Regent Street Poly.
Womens Centre, 45 North St, London SW4 for speakers.
leading up to the congress, in official in resolution's talk of a 'globally particular Disidents turned this into a circulating resolution calling for support the platform.
struggles in Eastern Europe, the breaking of relations with the Czecho and the rebabili- the of all the victims of of them 1977. visited Crechoslovakia to meet with Charter 77 representaExpelled by the authorities.
they brought back a message al it addressed to the PCE congress which called on delegates to 1 sustained and sensible attitude towards the sochel base of Christian Democracy:
The one false note was the Umberto Terracini, a member of the PCI along rassed Terracini enjoys a privileged His non-conformist past — was one of the few Italian Communists of the 1930g to first the theory of 'social-fascism' and then the German-Soviet pact - his age (84), his prestige, and his moral him beyond attack and able to criticise with Senacor Terracini was al400 people demonstrated on Saturday in solidarity with Iranian women. The marchers were protesting about the discrimination gainst women in Iran and the harassment that the emerging Thé Baxargan-Khomeini government is attempting to exclude women from some johs altogether particularly television announcers, lawyers and judges which Islam considers as male provinces Some women are still being forced to wear the veil or a headscarf if they go out to work. In the villages women out in public have been attacked by men even when they are wearing the veil!
seen must decide their fate.' was the message of the marchers A petition was handed in to the Trunion Embassy and a collection made towards funding a organised by the Iranian Women's Solidarity Groop which meets every Much work has to be done to find the delegation. Get your womens group to send u rep ulong if you Organise s meeting on Women in Iran if you live outside London. Write to IRWG, S. London speak out aguinst the repreision Czechoslovakin, and in the jailing of Jaroslav Sabata. Not suprising' ly, the party leadership refased to allow it to be read out from At the heart of the PCF'S problems is the secturian line it has pursued since it broke with Sociulist Party and LIBE Lalon of the Left in September Party leaders now cynically admit that they broke the Union because the SP rather than the PCF was recruiting out rither starling aimission of the bankruptes of tbeir own policies. lowed a virulent denunciation of the strategy of historic compromise, opposing to i a line of unity of the worker parties and organisations.
The "weakness" of collaboration with the Christian Democrats, he explained to respectful but rather embar delegates was because of the bad faith or narrow mindedness of their leaders but because of the party's class character:
*The Christian Democracy is the political organisation of the Italian big bourgeoisie. It is no than the PC, the party of ty more an "inter-class" working class. It fiercely defends the social interests o Italian big capital. An prolonged collaboration with it as a way to socialism is a trap This also shows how the Interests of maintaining the party apparatus have come to dictate policy; the working class is seen not as the agent of sociul change but merely as voting fodder.
weren't raised at the 23rd congress the party leadership made sure of that. But they continue to be heatedly discussed in countless PCP cells.
And through those discussions. and through united aclan on Questions sucn as Eastern Europe, revolutionary Marxists will be fighting for the creation of a party which can genuinely call itself conununist.
Socialist Challenge 24 May 1979 page 11
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leadership and president of the senate, cute of the lounders of