Bettino Craxi

Bettino Craxi (born Benedetto Craxi in Milan, Italy on February 24, 1934) was an Italian politician. The diminutive of Benedetto used to be Benito between revolutionary Italian families, as a Spanish and South American reference, until Benito Mussolini made it inexpedient, imprudent and offensive to use that form.

Political ascension

Craxi was the Prime Minister of Italy from 1983 to 1987, and head of the Italian Socialist Party from 1976 to 1993. He is the second longest-serving Prime Minister in Italy since 1945, after Silvio Berlusconi. He had strong influence in Italian politics throughout the eighties; for some time, he was a close ally of two key figures of Democrazia Cristiana, Giulio Andreotti and Arnaldo Forlani, in a loose cross-party alliance often dubbed CAF. He had a firm grasp on a party previously troubled by factionalism, and tried to distance it from the communists bringing it closer to Christian Democrats and other parties; his objective was to create an Italian version of Socialist parties like the German SPD or the French Socialist Party. The party reached its apex when it increased its share of votes in the general election of 1983, after temporarily abandoning its coalition with the Christian Democrats. However, the Italian Socialist Party never outgrew the much larger Italian Communist Party, whose highly charismatic leader, Enrico Berlinguer, was a fierce adversary of Craxi's policies throughout the years.

Related Topics:
Italy - 1983 - 1987 - Italian Socialist Party - 1976 - 1993 - Prime Minister - 1945 - Silvio Berlusconi - Eighties - Democrazia Cristiana - Giulio Andreotti - Arnaldo Forlani - SPD - French Socialist Party - Italian Communist Party - Enrico Berlinguer

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The main dynamic of Italian post-war politics was to find a way to keep the PCI (Partito Comunista Italiano) out of power. This led to the constant formation of political alliances between parties keen on keeping the Communists at bay. Things were further complicated by the fact that many parties had internal currents that would have welcomed the Communist in the government coalition; in particular, within the DC, Democrazia Cristiana (Christian Democrats), the largest party in Italy from 1945 to end of the "Prima Repubblica".

Related Topics:
PCI - Partito Comunista Italiano - Communists - Communist - Democrazia Cristiana - Christian Democrats - Italy - 1945 - Prima Repubblica

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Craxi was precocious and ascended to many levels public office at very early ages. In the international arena, he helped dissidents and Socialist Parties throughout the world organise and become independent. Notable recipients of his logistical help are the PSOE "Partido Socialista Obrero Español" during Francisco Franco's dictatorship, and dramaturg Jiri Pelikan, in the then Czechoslovakia. A rare footage of Craxi trying to lay flowers at the tomb of Salvador Allende has been unearthed from RAI's (RAdiotelevisione Italiana) archives. There is also proof that part of Craxi's illegally earned money were personally given by him in secret to Arafat and his organization because of Craxi's sympathy for Palestinian cause.

Related Topics:
PSOE - Francisco Franco - Czechoslovakia - Salvador Allende - RAI

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On July 16, 1976, Bettino Craxi was elected to the vacant secretary?s position, following years of factional fighting within his party. Ironically, the "old guard" saw him as short-lived leader, allowing each faction time to regroup. However, he was able to hold on to power and implement his policies. In particular, he sought and manage to distance his Party away from the communists bringing it closer to Christian Democrats and other center and center-right parties.

Related Topics:
July 16 - 1976 - Communists - Christian Democrats

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During Craxi's prime-ministership, Italy became the fifth largest industrial nation and gained entry into the G-7 Group of most Industraliased nations. Inflation was however often two-digit, and this was dealt with eliminating a wage-price increase link known as scala mobile ("escalator"); under this system, wages were increased automatically depending on inflation. Abolishing the system did reduce inflation, but inevitably increased strikes in the long term, as workers have to barter for better salaries. In any case, the victory of the "No" front in the abrogative referendum called by the Italian Communist Party was also a major victory for Craxi.

Related Topics:
Italy - G-7 - Inflation - Strike - Referendum - Italian Communist Party

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Italian national debt skyrocketed during the Craxi era, passing 100% of the gross national product. The level of the Italian national debt is still today well over 100% of the GDP.

Related Topics:
National debt - Gross national product

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The Sigonella Incident

Perhaps, he is best remembered internationally when in October 1985 he stood up to US President Ronald Reagan. Following the hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship, the hijackers, after protracted negotiations, were given safe passage to Egypt by plane. Three United States Navy F-14's forced the plane down to the United States Naval Air Facility (NAF) of Sigonella. Though the Americans demanded that the Italian authorities extradite Abu Abbas of the PLO, Craxi stood firm on the grounds that the Italian Government had jurisdiction over its own territory, even though it was a joint Italian-NATO base. He ordered Italian troops to surround the US Forces protecting the plane. This move was supposedly dictated both by security concerns about terrorists deciding to target Italy if the United States had had it their way, and an Italian tradition of diplomacy with the Arab world. Craxi's decisionist character may have been relevant in this resolution. Additionally two weeks later an Italian airline was hijacked, encouraged on by the success of Achille Lauro.

Related Topics:
1985 - Ronald Reagan - Achille Lauro - Egypt - United States Navy - F-14 - Sigonella - Abu Abbas - PLO - NATO - Terrorist - Diplomacy - Arab

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The hijackers were later found guilty, and sentenced to relatively light prison terms, for hijacking and murder of an American citizen, Leon Klinghoffer. Craxi first gave the United States Forces permission to detain the terrorists, but he later reneged on the deal, and took the US Special Forces team in custody; they later escaped from Italy. Craxi then rejected the US extradition order and let Abu Abbas flee to Yugoslavia. Abbas was later convicted in Italy in absentia, and eventually died shortly after having being taken prisoner by American forces in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, officially for natural causes.

Related Topics:
Prison - Hijacking - Murder - Leon Klinghoffer - Extradition - Abu Abbas - Yugoslavia - In absentia - 2003 invasion of Iraq

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This episode earned him an article in The Economist titled "Europe's strong man" and more tellingly, in the Senate, a full-standing ovation which included his communist opponents.

Related Topics:
The Economist - Senate - Communist

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