Biography of Bettino Craxi

A bitter parable

February 24, 1934
January 20, 2000
Socialist leader Bettino Craxi historian delivers his last speech as a member, a Deputy under fire, on 29 April 1993. Then there are the pennies, the processes, the condemnations, the sad retreat to Hammameth, illness, death. A parable in sixteen years will take him from the altar to the mud. After several years of justicialist revolution of clean hands, the figure of Craxi begins to be evaluated by several parties with greater serenity, in light of a colder historical judgement. Benedetto (Bettino) Craxi was born in Milan on February 24, 1934, at a time when fascism was quickly establishing itself, attracting increasingly explicit consents from all the Italian people. First of three sons of Vittorio Craxi, a Sicilian lawyer who moved to the North (and became prefect of Milan and then Prefect of Como), and Maria Ferrari a commoner from Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Bailey is bred in the values of antifascism and of liberal socialism. Joined the Socialist Youth, enters the milanese Federation during high school. In the years ' 50 is official in Sesto San Giovanni.
Will enter the Central Committee of the Psi Congress in ' 57. In 23 years in his field of action are universities. He confessed he himself who as a boy was not fond of studying. In high school he made up promotions. Still gets high school, but the University will not have the same luck: he attended both the University of Milan and the political science of Perugia. 19 meeting with Anna Maria Moncini, the woman who would become his wife. Nenniano of iron and anticommunist believes, continues as city councilman in Milan where, in 1965, joined in the party leadership.
Three years later, Craxi was elected Deputy and passes in the National Secretariat as Deputy Secretary of Giacomo Mancini, Francesco De Martino. In those years tie relations with European brothers later parties, in the early ' 70 will support and finance all the Socialist parties subject to dictatorial regimes (Greece, Spain, Portugal). In ' 76, he was elected Secretary of the Psi instead of De Martino, referred to as a Secretary. Instead Craxi demonstrates not only have many tricks up your sleeve, but also innovative ideas and not resign ourselves against the political status quo Italian. At the Congress of Turin in 1978, for example, contrasts the "alternative strategy" to the "historic compromise" enunciated by Pci leader Enrico Berlinguer, a party in which Craxi will launch a fierce controversy. In ' 78 mature another incident critical to most Italian politician's career decision in decades: the Lockheed scandal, scandal which forced the then President of Republic Giovanni Leone to resign in advance and to ensure that the Psi is able to impose, for the first time in its history, a saocialista al Quirinale: Sandro Pertini.
The confrontation with the Communists goes on. While Berlinguer opera ripping with Moscow, launching the "third way", in the same period Craxi abandons Lenin and Marx to exalt the thought of Proudhon and change the party symbol: no more hammer and sickle on the book and the rising sun, but a red Carnation. During the kidnapping of Moro, Christian democracy and Pci don't want to negotiate a deal for the release of Aldo Moro. The line chosen by the two major parties to address the dramatic 55 days of the seizure of the statesman Dc is that of firmness: no concessions to the Red Brigades. Bettino Craxi will opt instead for the line of negotiation, to no avail. On 4 August 1983 forms his first Government: a pentapartito composed Dc Psi, Psdi, Pri and Pli. He remained in Office until June 27, 1986.
A period which will be the longest ever recorded in the history of the Republic. In addition to the record of permanence, Craxi was the first Socialist to become Prime Minister in Italy. In 1984 (18 February) signed the revision of the Concordat between Italy and the Vatican. Disappears the "fair" and introduces the 8 per thousand and offers tax deductible for the clergy. With the Prime Minister, to sign the agreement, Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli. The other snag with Pci is of 1984 when, on his proposal, approving the decree for cutting some points of the escalator, without the consent of labor unions. On 10 September 1985 an Egyptian plane carrying Abu Abbas, a member of the PLO, his aide and the 4 hijackers of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, was intercepted by the U.s. air force that requires landing at Sigonella (Sicily). Craxi refuses to hand over to the u.s. the HTS Palestinians of Achille Lauro stating that crimes were committed on Italian soil and hence competes in Italy prosecute offences. The Italian soldiers in Sigonella oppose, with weapons at u.s. special troops. The December 8, 1989 the UN Secretary General appointed him his personal representative for the debt of developing countries. In the ' 90 presents his report to the Assembly.
The Secretary General appoints Special Adviser for the development and consolidation of peace and security. To sign his work on the "next!" Craxi first start using the pseudonym given by Eugenio Scalfari Republic, inspired by the "shirt of Radicofani, Ghino di Tacco. It is not actually a flattering nickname, saw that it was a brigand (though there are those who say it was some sort of Robin Hood), but Craxi with much sense of humor, accept ridicule. Craxi continues its work by approaching the Socialist Party in the Center with l0 ' intent to make the scales of Italian politics. These are the years of the famous CAF, Craxi-Andreotti-Forlani axis, the Government of the early ' 90 pentapartito. The three upset the leader irpino Ciriaco De Mita Dc by taking away the Voice and the Government. But Craxi no longer pick up the reins of Government. The beginning of the political crisis of Bettino Craxi is dated 1992.
The avalanche begins with stopping the Socialist administrator of a home for the elderly in Milan, the Pio Albergo Trivulzio: Mario Chiesa, who is blocked while cashing a bribe from a cleaning company. Craxi defines it as "a cheat", a petty thief that has nothing to do with the Psi. But from that episode part hands clean, survey conducted by Prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro. Starts Tangentopoli. On 15 December 92 comes the first notice of inquiry on the Milan subway. The Pool, led by Francesco Saverio Borrelli, the Socialist leader, sends the first notice of. In August ' 93, before a tongue-tied, Parliament is the historic speech that sounds like a challenge to the whole Italian political class: "stand up what has not taken illicit funding in this country." Then remember the money paid by the Soviets to Pci and paramilitary apparatus of KGB in Italy. However, overwhelmed by scandals and pursued by the clean hands pool in Milan arrest warrants, Craxi decides not to deal with processes, and in 1994 he flees in his villa in Hammamet, in Tunisia, where heads of State and politicians from all over the world loved a time getting sleep. For six years the Italy pretends to forget him: few politicians who do visit, as equally few are friends were at his side. Dies in Tunisia on January 20, 2000.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.