«Italian Communists through the modernization of the 60s and 70s. Movements, civil rights, ascent and electoral decline»

The 1970s saw a wide-ranging crisis of the Fordist industrial model. In particular, in Italy this decade was marked by a huge modernization which brought an expansion of civil rights as well as several changes in the citizen’s political and electoral behaviours. Paradoxically, it was the Italian Communist Party that intercepted these signals of change, in spite of the delay with which the Communists had recognized the economic miracle and the positive value of the European integration. Not to mention their initial suspicions about the struggle for civil rights, including divorce and abortion, which determined the sharp conflict that Nilde Iotti and other communist women had to engage in their own Party. However, between 1975 and 1976, due to the 1974 referendum, the 1975 administrative elections and the 1976 general election, the ICP seemed about to join the national government, despite the enduring Cold War. Nevertheless, a social and political crisis as well as the impact of Aldo Moro’s abduction and murder in 1978 prevented the ICP to achieve this goal. Moreover, in 1977 the Communist proposal of a new season of austerity opened a harsh contrast with the youngsters, which culminated in the conflict between the student movement and the CGIL. As a consequence, two years later the ICP was defeated in the general election losing 4% of votes, due especially to those numerous young voters that chose the Radical Party. This gave rise to a new Italian paradox, being the latter the successor of an ancient Italian liberal culture, and as such a defender of a deceived modernity.