Being Communists
Encyclopedia
Being Communists is a faction within the Communist Refoundation Party
in Italy
, formed basically of former followers of Armando Cossutta
, who left the party in 1998 to form the Party of Italian Communists
. The leader of the group is Claudio Grassi.
The faction can be considered the "traditionalist" wing of the party, in the sense that it does not agree with what it considers an execessive criticism of real socialism
, the Soviet Union
and the Italian Communist Party
. As proud communists, the group members are not generally keen on the party's participation to the European Left. In 2005 the group obtained the 26.5% of the delegates to the VI national congress of the party, while two years later it suffered the split of some hard-liners led by Fosco Giannini, who set up The Ernesto
.
In April 2008, following the severe defeat of the party in the 2008 general election
, a group of former Bertinottiani
, composed basically of former members of Proletarian Democracy
and led by Paolo Ferrero
and Giovanni Russo Spena, criticized the recent experiment of The Left – The Rainbow
alliance and the political line of Fausto Bertinotti. Soon after this group, named Refoundation in Movement
, formed an alliance with Being Communists in order to overthrow the leadership of the party. In the 24-27 July 2008 congress the motion supported by the two groups obtained 40.1% of the delegates and Paolo Ferrero was elected party secretary with the support of other minority factions.
Communist Refoundation Party
The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero....
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, formed basically of former followers of Armando Cossutta
Armando Cossutta
-Life:Born in Milan, Cosutta joined the Italian Communist Party in 1943, and took part in the Italian resistance movement as a partisan. After World War II, he became one of the leading members of the party, representing the most pro-Soviet Union tendency; his belief in that country as the...
, who left the party in 1998 to form the Party of Italian Communists
Party of Italian Communists
The Party of Italian Communists is a communist political party in Italy. Its long-time leader is Oliviero Diliberto.-Foundation and early years:...
. The leader of the group is Claudio Grassi.
The faction can be considered the "traditionalist" wing of the party, in the sense that it does not agree with what it considers an execessive criticism of real socialism
Real socialism
The Real socialism is a political term, popularized during the Brezhnev era in the Soviet Union, in relation to the rapidly changing socioeconomic reality of the Eastern Bloc countries, faced with the sharply declining increments of growth and the need for economic reform...
, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
. As proud communists, the group members are not generally keen on the party's participation to the European Left. In 2005 the group obtained the 26.5% of the delegates to the VI national congress of the party, while two years later it suffered the split of some hard-liners led by Fosco Giannini, who set up The Ernesto
The Ernesto
The Ernesto is a faction within the Communist Refoundation Party in Italy.The group emerged as a split from Being Communists in February 2007 and took the name from L'Ernesto, a communist publication...
.
In April 2008, following the severe defeat of the party in the 2008 general election
Italian general election, 2008
A snap general election was held in Italy on 13 April and 14 April 2008. The election came after President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved parliament on 6 February 2008 following the defeat of the government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi in a January 2008 Senate vote, and the unsuccessful tentative...
, a group of former Bertinottiani
Bertinottiani
Bertinottiani referred to the faction around Fausto Bertinotti, a leading member of the Communist Refoundation Party , a political party in Italy....
, composed basically of former members of Proletarian Democracy
Proletarian Democracy
Proletarian Democracy was a political party in Italy.-1970s:DP was founded in 1975 as a joint electoral front of the Proletarian Unity Party , Workers Vanguard and the Workers Movement for Socialism...
and led by Paolo Ferrero
Paolo Ferrero
Paolo Ferrero is an Italian politician, member of the Communist Refoundation Party and former Italian Minister of Social Solidarity in the Prodi II Cabinet.-Career:...
and Giovanni Russo Spena, criticized the recent experiment of The Left – The Rainbow
The Left – The Rainbow
The Left – The Rainbow , frequently referred as Rainbow Left , was a left-wing federation of parties in Italy....
alliance and the political line of Fausto Bertinotti. Soon after this group, named Refoundation in Movement
Refoundation in Movement
Refoundation in Movement is a faction within the Communist Refoundation Party in Italy.In April 2008, following the severe defeat of the party in the 2008 general election, a group of former Bertinottiani, composed basically of former members of Proletarian Democracy and led by Paolo Ferrero and...
, formed an alliance with Being Communists in order to overthrow the leadership of the party. In the 24-27 July 2008 congress the motion supported by the two groups obtained 40.1% of the delegates and Paolo Ferrero was elected party secretary with the support of other minority factions.