Memory and Power in Post-War Europe: Studies in the Presence of ...

The Italian post-war experience 239
party brought to an end Prodi’s government, but did not reverse the most
remarkable achievements of the ‘clean hands’ experience and of the ending
of the Cold War, namely the formation of a consensus in Italy around
the centre-left political project. Prodi’s achievements in internal economic
policy and in Europe were the heritage entrusted to the hands of the first
Italian government led by a former communist, Massimo D’Alema, the
leader of the Democratici di Sinistra (DS, the successor of the PDS).
D’Alema’s leadership marked the end of the long march of the post-
Second World War Italian communist party towards government. However,
the strength of the parties of the right and their forceful opposition
to the leader of the DS, show that memories of the ‘communist danger’
could still be kept alive. It has to be pointed out that the transition from
Prodi to D’Alema was marked by a change in the government coalition
away from the majority grouping which followed the 1996 elections. This
was due partly to Bertinotti’s decision to oppose the last Prodi government
to the end and partly to D’Alema’s flexibility in making alliances
with political groups outside the previous coalition. One can argue that
D’Alema showed from the very beginning an inclination for compromise
that made him a far less innovative leader than Prodi in Italian political
life. Certainly, Prodi was able to dismiss history much more easily than
D’Alema could ever dream of doing because the latter is the product
of the cultural environment of the left which had monopolised, together
with the laic parties, the memories of the Resistance and of the early
post-Second World War political struggle.
D’Alema’s resignation as prime minister, following the poor result for
his coalition in regional elections, seemed to prove his inability to capitalise
on the original Olive Tree project and to reinforce and expand
the idea of an Italian ‘third way’. Giuliano Amato followed, his new government
supported by a wide parliamentary majority of the centre-left.
Amato is an academic by training with much high-level political experience,
including the post of finance minister in D’Alema’s government.
His main task was, from the point of view of the centre-left, to prevent
the general election, due by April 2001, being held very early, because
this was likely to usher Berlusconi into government for the second time.
Indeed, Amato gained respect within and outside Italy for his competent
and effective style of government. However, the general election held on
13 May 2001 did sanction the success of Berlusconi and his political allies
on the right of the Italian political spectrum.
Not surprisingly, the 1996 electoral victory of the centre-left coalition
as well as the shift to the centre-right in 2001, contributed to a remarkable
revival of the debate on national identity in Italy. At the core of this
debate were the views of the Italian nation and state as perceived by the