Pietro Ingrao
Encyclopedia
Pietro Ingrao is an Italian
politician, and was for many years a senior figure in the Italian Communist Party
(PCI).
.
Ingrao joined the PCI in 1942 and took part in the anti-fascist resistance
during the World War II
. After the war, he led the Marxist-Leninist
tendency in the party, representing its left wing. This led him to frequent political differences with Giorgio Amendola
, leader of the social democratic tendency.
Ingrao was a Member of Parliament continuously from 1948 to 1994. During the 1950s, he was editor-in-chief of the party newspaper, L'Unità
. He was the first Communist to become President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
from 1976 to 1979.
After the PCI split at the Bolognina Congress of 1991, to which he was opposed, he joined the reformist
majority in the Democrats of the Left
, but soon left the group; after the European elections of 2004 he surprised many by joining the more hardline successor to the old PCI, the Communist Refoundation Party. Nowadays, Ingrao is considered an elder statesman of the Italian left.
He has written a number of poems and political essays. His most important work is Appuntamenti di fine secolo ("Rendez-vous at the end of the century"), published in 1995 in collaboration with Rossana Rossanda
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
politician, and was for many years a senior figure in the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
(PCI).
Political career
Ingrao was born at Lenola, in the province of LatinaProvince of Latina
The Province of Latina is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Latina.It has an area of 2,251 km², and a total population of 519,850...
.
Ingrao joined the PCI in 1942 and took part in the anti-fascist resistance
Italian resistance movement
The Italian resistance is the umbrella term for the various partisan forces formed by pro-Allied Italians during World War II...
during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, he led the Marxist-Leninist
Marxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
tendency in the party, representing its left wing. This led him to frequent political differences with Giorgio Amendola
Giorgio Amendola
Giorgio Amendola was an Italian writer and politician.Born in Rome in 1907, he was the son of Lithuanian intellectual Eva Kuhn and Giovanni Amendola, a liberal anti-fascist who died in 1926 in Cannes after having been attacked by killers hired by Benito Mussolini...
, leader of the social democratic tendency.
Ingrao was a Member of Parliament continuously from 1948 to 1994. During the 1950s, he was editor-in-chief of the party newspaper, L'Unità
L'Unità
l'Unità is an Italian left-wing newspaper, originally founded as official newspaper of the Italian Communist Party.-History:L'Unità was founded by Antonio Gramsci on 12 February 1924, as the newspaper of workers and peasants, the official newspaper of Italian Communist Party : it was printed in...
. He was the first Communist to become President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
from 1976 to 1979.
After the PCI split at the Bolognina Congress of 1991, to which he was opposed, he joined the reformist
Reformism
Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures...
majority in the Democrats of the Left
Democrats of the Left
The Democrats of the Left was a social-democratic Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
, but soon left the group; after the European elections of 2004 he surprised many by joining the more hardline successor to the old PCI, the Communist Refoundation Party. Nowadays, Ingrao is considered an elder statesman of the Italian left.
He has written a number of poems and political essays. His most important work is Appuntamenti di fine secolo ("Rendez-vous at the end of the century"), published in 1995 in collaboration with Rossana Rossanda
Rossana Rossanda
-Biography:Rossanda was born in Pula, then part of Italy. She studied in Milan and was a pupil of philosopher Antonio Banfi. At a very young age, she took part in the Italian resistance and, after the end of World War II, she entered the Italian Communist Party . After a short period, secretary ...
.