Constitutional Arch
Encyclopedia
The term Constitutional arch was conceived and used in the Italian
political debate during the first fifty years of the Italian Republic. This expression linked the Italian political parties which had been actors in the drafting and approval of the Italian Constitution of 1948.
The arch therefore included the Christian Democracy
(DC), the Italian Communist Party
(PCI), the Italian Socialist Party
, the Italian Democratic Socialist Party
, the Italian Liberal Party
and the Italian Republican Party
, then practically all major parties except the Monarchist National Party
and, particularly, the Italian Social Movement
(MSI), which had no Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Constituent Assembly and did not share the anti-fascist
values contained in the Constitution itself.
According to Claudio Pavone the arch was the heir of the constitutional system of government led by the National Liberation Committee
, maintaining the structure for a long time even after the ouster of the center-left government in 1947. The Constitutional arch was also one of the support points used as motivation, during the years of lead
, from politicians who demanded a government of national unity including the PCI fully into the leadership of the country.
The Constitutional Assembly had the effect of creating an asymmetry between the forces of the left opposition (included within the Constitution) and of right opposition (not the same) than the governments of the so-called First Republic that until 1994 were based on DC. Indeed, the PCI, despite being at opposition permanently since 1947, was an active component of the policy making process, both nationally (especially during the parliamentary legislative committees) and in local administrative areas, such as governments of regions, provinces, while the MSI, more or less everywhere, was confined to the margins of political life.
One of the last acts of political expression in the constitutional election was the President of the Republic of Sandro Pertini, elected on July 8, 1978, receiving the largest majority in presidential vote in Italian history.
The theory of the constitutional arch, during the seventh parliamentary terms (1976–1979), was challenged by the Socialist Party, led by Bettino Craxi
as his new secretary, who began to introduce political discourse in the demand for constitutional reforms, a hypothesis until that time always firmly rejected by any party of the arch, and was generally considered completed when Craxi, during which he held the office of Prime Minister of Italy
, found in favor of a hypothetical chance for MSI to enter into a coalition government as a sign of relaxing at the party offered the chairmanship of the Board of elections to the Italian Chamber of Deputies
.
The arch theory finally ended in 1994 when Silvio Berlusconi
found the Pole of Good Government
, forming a new government which included post-fascist politicians.
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...
political debate during the first fifty years of the Italian Republic. This expression linked the Italian political parties which had been actors in the drafting and approval of the Italian Constitution of 1948.
The arch therefore included the Christian Democracy
Christian Democracy (Italy)
Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
(DC), 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...
(PCI), the Italian Socialist Party
Italian Socialist Party
The Italian Socialist Party was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy founded in Genoa in 1892.Once the dominant leftist party in Italy, it was eclipsed in status by the Italian Communist Party following World War II...
, the Italian Democratic Socialist Party
Italian Democratic Socialist Party
The Italian Democratic Socialist Party is a minor social-democratic political party in Italy. Mimmo Magistro is the party leader. The PSDI, before the 1990s decline in votes and members, had been an important force in Italian politics, being the longest serving partner in government for Christian...
, the Italian Liberal Party
Italian Liberal Party
The Italian Liberal Party was a liberal political party in Italy.-Origins:The origins of liberalism in Italy came from the so-called "Historical Right", a parliamentary group formed by Camillo Benso di Cavour in the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia following the 1848 revolution...
and the Italian Republican Party
Italian Republican Party
The Italian Republican Party is a liberal political party in Italy.The PRI is party with old roots that originally took a left-wing position, claiming descent from the political position of Giuseppe Mazzini...
, then practically all major parties except the Monarchist National Party
Monarchist National Party
The Monarchist National Party was a political party in Italy founded in 1946, uniting conservatives, liberal conservatives, conservative liberals and nationalists...
and, particularly, the Italian Social Movement
Italian Social Movement
The Italian Social Movement , and later the Italian Social Movement–National Right , was a neo-fascist and post-fascist political party in Italy. Formed in 1946 by supporters of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the party became the fourth largest party in Italy by the early 1960s...
(MSI), which had no Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Constituent Assembly and did not share the anti-fascist
Anti-fascism
Anti-fascism is the opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals, such as that of the resistance movements during World War II. The related term antifa derives from Antifaschismus, which is German for anti-fascism; it refers to individuals and groups on the left of the political...
values contained in the Constitution itself.
According to Claudio Pavone the arch was the heir of the constitutional system of government led by the National Liberation Committee
National Liberation Committee
The National Liberation Committee was the underground political entity of Italian Partisans during the German occupation of Italy in the last years of the Second World War. It was a multi-party entity, whose members were united by their anti-fascism...
, maintaining the structure for a long time even after the ouster of the center-left government in 1947. The Constitutional arch was also one of the support points used as motivation, during the years of lead
Years of Lead
Years of Lead is an European phenomenon not unrelated to the Cold War, characterized by left and right-wing terrorism and the strategy of tension. Some terrorist groups include the German Red Army Faction, and the French Action Directe. In Belgium, the années de plomb or "Bloody Eighties", refers...
, from politicians who demanded a government of national unity including the PCI fully into the leadership of the country.
The Constitutional Assembly had the effect of creating an asymmetry between the forces of the left opposition (included within the Constitution) and of right opposition (not the same) than the governments of the so-called First Republic that until 1994 were based on DC. Indeed, the PCI, despite being at opposition permanently since 1947, was an active component of the policy making process, both nationally (especially during the parliamentary legislative committees) and in local administrative areas, such as governments of regions, provinces, while the MSI, more or less everywhere, was confined to the margins of political life.
One of the last acts of political expression in the constitutional election was the President of the Republic of Sandro Pertini, elected on July 8, 1978, receiving the largest majority in presidential vote in Italian history.
The theory of the constitutional arch, during the seventh parliamentary terms (1976–1979), was challenged by the Socialist Party, led by Bettino Craxi
Bettino Craxi
Benedetto Craxi was an Italian politician, head of the Italian Socialist Party from 1976 to 1993, the first socialist President of the Council of Ministers of Italy from 1983 to 1987.-Political career:...
as his new secretary, who began to introduce political discourse in the demand for constitutional reforms, a hypothesis until that time always firmly rejected by any party of the arch, and was generally considered completed when Craxi, during which he held the office of Prime Minister of Italy
Prime minister of Italy
The Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...
, found in favor of a hypothetical chance for MSI to enter into a coalition government as a sign of relaxing at the party offered the chairmanship of the Board of elections to the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
.
The arch theory finally ended in 1994 when Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
found the Pole of Good Government
Pole of Good Government
The Pole of Good Government was a centre-right electoral alliance in Italy, launched at the 1994 general election by Silvio Berlusconi.The alliance was composed primarily of Forza Italia and the National Alliance, but also included Christian Democratic Centre , the Union of the Centre and Liberal...
, forming a new government which included post-fascist politicians.
Books
- Piero Bevilacqua (A cura di), Lezioni sull'Italia repubblicana, Donzelli editore, 1994, ISBN 8879890700
- Francesco Raniolo, Le trasformazioni dei partiti politici, Rubbettino Editore srl, 2004, ISBN 8849811268
- Salvatore Cingari, Cultura democratica e istituzioni rappresentative: due esempi a confronto : Italia e Romania, Firenze University Press, 2007, ISBN 888453562X