Berlinguer, Enrico

Berlinguer, Enrico (unrēkō bûr'lingûr) [key], 1922–84, Italian political leader. Born into a wealthy yet politically radical family, Berlinguer joined the Communist party in 1943 and eventually became its secretary-general (1972–84). He advocated a moderate form of Communism, was a leading advocate of the “Eurocommunist” movement of the mid-1970s, and proposed a “historic compromise”: an alliance between the Roman Catholics and the Communists. In the 1976 parliamentary elections his party won 36% of the vote. He was instrumental in supporting the coalition government of Giulio Andreotti.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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