Dead Ciriaco De Mita, former Prime Minister and historic secretary of the DC. From the White Whale to the duels on the 2016 referendum

The former prime minister and historic secretary of the DC, Ciriaco De Mitadied this morning at 7 in the Villa dei Pini nursing home in Avellino. De Mita – who was still mayor of Nusco, his native town – had undergone surgery last February for a fractured femur following a fall at home. He was 94.

He was head of a government supported by the Pentapartite between 1988 and 1989, an executive that fell as a result of a crisis decided by the secretary of the PSI Bettino Craxi, with whom he dueled on more than one occasion in those years. De Mita, who was also a minister 4 times, led the Christian Democracy from 1982 to 1989 and was a deputy continuously from 1963 to 2008 with the sole exception of the two years between 1994 and 1996. After the dissolution of the DC he served first in the PPI, then in the Margherita and finally in the UDC, after the Pd – to which he had initially joined – did not re-nominate him. De Mita is credited with the “discovery” and commitment to politics of the former prime minister Romano Prodi and the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarellaboth members of the left of the DC of which De Mita was leader.

De Mita’s last active battle known to the general public was for 2016 referendum campaign for the vote on constitutional reforms Renzi-Boschi. Among the televised comparisons of those weeks there was also the one between De Mita and Renzi. “It is irrecoverable – said De Mita of the then prime minister, live on TV – He has such an awareness that he sees no limits to his arrogance”. A historical phrase from him, remembered even in these hours, summarized his way of seeing politics, evidently very far from that of today: “Remember. First: don’t confuse politics with desire. Second: in times of difficulty retreat to where you are strongest. If it’s your region, be the regional leader. If it’s your city, be mayor. If you are nowhere strong, go back to your wife. And wait “.

Among the first to remember the secretary of the Democratic Party Enrico Letta and the Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini, both from the ranks of the PPI and then Margherita. “A fan of politics – describes the leader of the Democrats on Twitter – A great leader who has never backed down from making difficult choices. And that he has invested like few others onopening up politics to young people at a time when exactly the opposite was happening. Many, intense memories “. “She has left us a Great of the Republic – adds the minister – A unique intelligence, a charismatic leader, a master of politics for entire generations, young until the last day. Today a huge pain for all of us who loved him “.

Paolo Cirino Pomicino, another historic Christian Democrat minister, remembers him thus on the Campania TV Channel 21: “I thought that his determination made him overcome even these ailments. We lower the flag, we remember him and we honor him as he deserves ”. “In his idea of ​​politics, one thing was the divisions between parties on some issues, even important ones, but another was the search for all possible understandings to pursue a political battle – says Pomicino – In this sense, despite having a character edgy, possessed such a size as to become the longest-serving secretary in the history of the DD. As a leader he managed the loss of six points in the 1983 elections, he built the alliance which, after national solidarity, became the backbone of the country’s government. In this, despite having triple the votes, he had the all-political ability to sense that the center-left alliance had to be strengthened, offering to Bettino Craxi the presidency of the council. On that occasion he was born the alternation between DC and Psi at the head of the government and, although their relations were not the best, this has never affected the policy of that alliance ”. According to Pomicino “the most evident proof was in 1984 on the escalator: to cool inflation, the government modified it, there was a hard clash with the PCI but De Mita did not hesitate in the least to move the party to the government, so much so that he went to referendum and it was won among the workers and in civil society “.

The former speaker of the Chamber and former leader of the UDC – and himself a historical exponent of the DC – Pierferdinando Casini defines De Mita as “one of the last great Christian Democrats”. “He was in the government of the country for a long time – underlines Casini – but in reality he concentrated his energies at the helm of the DC and in attempt to renew it, in very difficult years for the Republic. In him, his passion for politics and his love for the land have never faded: he has always defined himself, simply and simply, a Christian Democrat, even after the death of the Christian Democrats “.

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