"The L'Unitá"

Translated "Avante!" article by Albano Nunes, Member of the Secretariat of the CC

The L’Unità, founded in 1924, as the Italian Communist Party channel, however non existent as a communist newspaper, for a long time, has “ definitely suspended ” its publication. The news, wide spread, and published in “Expresso” front page, catches one’s attention. On one side, and rebating the newspaper workers’ serious problems, it is a positive sign that a prestigious worker and communist press title is no more used to push social-democrat positions, and on the other, the confirming of a defeat and an emptiness, regarding our Italian comrades’ courageous efforts which have not, for yet fulfilled.
The genuine and communist L’Unità, ought to be remembered by the significance it really played, at the workers’ service, throughout very hard class struggles, against fascism and the Italian great bourgeoisie. The other one, holding an adaptation trajectory to the capitalism system ends now, and if not missed, many lessons of greatest importance will remain.

One recalls how L’Unità, following the ICP’s degeneration process, defended “ Eurocommunism” as “ a path towards socialism amid the developed capitalist countries”, as a contrary conception towards the October Revolution and socialism historical experiences, not regarding the working class leader role and the Marxist-Leninist vanguard party, opposing Marx to Lenine, to afterwards renegade him, in privilege of the electoral and parliamentary field, concerning struggles and summit agreements, in order to achieve a “historical compromise” above class struggle.
As one ought to remember, the progressive dropout of the monopoly liquidation objective ( and only but “ limiting their power”) along with the NATO dissolution, at the very same time that – opening up a deep gap amid the communist movement’s position – defended an “European” option, in support of the EEC / European Union, its structures and supranational federalist policies, considering to be “ old” the national mark and the need of strengthening an “ autonomous Europe” facing the USA, all arguments that practise and reality have defeated.

At the time of the announcement of its disappearance, it is worth to reflect upon L’Unità’s traverse. The reformist conceptions it pushed forward upon the seventies and which, after socialism defeats became openly liquidations, led by no principles leaders, such as Ochetto, D’Alema and others, unto the party’s painful dissolution, founded by Gramsci and Togliatti. From step by step, on abandoning the central thesis of the international communist movement, of concession upon concession, in order to become acceptable by the great capital, the ICP, which was one of the most important working class parties ,within Europe, with strong popular roots and an electoral expression, which over passed the 30% , changed into the CDP, SD and finally in the current Democratic party, in a complete and assumed rupture with the Italian communist heroic passed and diluted among a stinking social-democrat soup, which does not disdains to include among its members, one of the parties, which in Israel, is conducting the Palestinian people’s hideous massacre and supports the Fascist-coup regime, installed in Kiev.

All this is sad and painful. But as experience teaches, the social progress forces’ hardest defeats, do not hinder History’s progress. The workers movement and the Italian communists, heirs of honourable revolutionary traditions, ought to find their way.

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