Italy: Racism and fascism (4)
01 January 1991
Italy: Racism and fascism
artdoc November=1995
The National Alliance conference
MSI dissolves into AN
At the end of the MSI's five-day party conference in January in
Fiuggi, a spa resort south of Rome, the Italian Social Movement
(MSI) agreed to dissolve itself into the AN. During the
conference, attended by 2,000 delegates, opposition to the
rejection of corporatism and fascism was spearheaded by MSI
deputy Teodoro Buontempo. But Buontempo remains within the AN.
However, some MSI diehards, led by Pino Pauti, refused to accept
conference's decision and are fighting to retain the MSI's symbol
and name.
Gianfranco Fini received rapturous applause when he
announced that the new AN symbol will include the old golden
torch flame of the MSI. At the end of the congress, the old
anthem "Hymn to Rome" was replaced by a new one, "Liberty".
Gennaro Malgieri, editor of Secola d'Italia, the AN newspaper,
said: "This congress was historic because after 50 years, it was
able to resolve the whole fascist question." Fini concluded that
"Today's right is no longer a synonym for nostalgia, but of great
innovation and change."
AN charter and programme
The AN launched itself with a charter condemning racism,
disowning dictatorship and claiming that its attachment to
democracy was "beyond question".
Opposition to racism?
At the conference, Mussolini's race laws of 1938 were denounced
as "eternally shameful" and racism and antisemitism condemned.
Roberta Angehlli, the secretary of the AN's youth section said:
"I'm not in the slightest bit racist, never have been. I have
great respect for other communities ... every people should have
the chance to live in its own land ... I do not like the American
model of a thousand races together, because it leads to a loss
in identity, in specificity."
Break with fascism?
According, to historian Nicola Tranfaglia, the statute of the new
party, which gives unprecedented powers to the AN's president,
bears an uncanny resemblance to the 1938 constitution of the
fascist party. Under the statute, Fini becomes a dictator within
his own party with the power to chose half of the 500 delegates
to the party conference, nominate the 100 members of the
directive committee, and "constitute" the 25 members of the
executive.
The Guardian (27.1.95) has also pointed out that the
charter's section on the "values and principles" of its new
political thesis cites the views of men like Giovanni Gentile,
the so-called "philosopher of fascism" who became Mussolini's
education minister, and Julius Evola, the originator of a theory
of the absolute individual, author of Synthesis of the Doctrine
of the Races and a preface to the notorious Protocols of Europe.
A survey carried out among members of the MSI's youth
movement showed that only 14 per cent considered themselves
democratic. Sixty-six per cent thought it was all right to come
to blows with political opponents, and 88 per cent felt that the
key historical reference point was fascism.
Other values
Commitment to Christianity, the family and pro-life values were
also stressed. "Diffuse capitalism" was cited as an economic
objective, as opposed to big business and capitalist
concentration.
The AN is currently doing, well in opinion polls and is
opening new local party headquarters up and down the country.
A mass nationwide youth cultural and sports association, modelled
on the former communist ARCI, is another plan in the pipeline.
Right-wing social centres will be set up to attract young people.
The former communists and other groups attend AN conference
A delegation from the PDS attended the AN conference as
observers, at the AN's invitation. An old partisan, Pecchioli,
received a standing ovation. The black former communist MEP,
Dalcia Valent, also attended the conference and caused a stir
when she praised the AN's explicit condemnation of racism and
i