The Republic, Christian Democratic Governments

The repudiation of Joseph Stalin at the 20th Congress of the Soviet Communist Party in February 1956 plunged the powerful Italian Communist Party into confusion, and it disillusioned the left-wing Socialists and weakened their alliance with the Communists. After the Hungarian uprising in October of that year, the number of Communist sympathizers dwindled. The decline of the party strengthened democratic forces.

In the elections held on May 25 and 26, 1958, the center coalition obtained majorities in both houses of parliament. A new coalition government composed of Christian Democrats and right-wing Socialists and led by Amintore Fanfani was sworn in on July 2. He was succeeded in January 1959 by Antonio Segni, whose cabinet consisted entirely of Christian Democrats. Widespread criticism of the visit by President Giovanni Gronchi to the Soviet Union in February 1960 led to the fall of the government later that month. In July, Fanfani returned to office and, with the voting support of three centrist parties, obtained approval of a cabinet composed entirely of Christian Democratic ministers. Two years later, former Prime Minister Segni, who was foreign minister in Fanfani’s government, was elected to the presidency.

Local elections in 1962 demonstrated strong popular support for the progovernment parties, and the Communists lost strength for the first time in many years. Subsequently, dissension arose among the parties supporting the government. It had its base in Communist criticism of Fanfani’s policies, including charges that the prime minister had failed to stimulate domestic economic reforms and to secure the removal of NATO missile bases from Italy. Although the parties agreed in January 1963 to continue their support of his government, it was weakened by the results of parliamentary elections on April 28 and 29. The popular vote for the Christian Democrats declined to 38.3 percent, while the Communist vote increased to 25.3 percent. Fanfani resigned on May 16 but remained head of a caretaker government until Giovanni Leone, president of the Chamber of Deputies, formed a temporary Christian Democratic minority government.