Andreotti forms new Govt after making pact with Leftists

Press, 15 March 1978, Page 9

Andreotti forms new Govt after making pact with Leftists

International

NZPA«Reutcr Rome Old-guard Christian Democrats have returned to their Government posts in Italy’s fortieth post-Fascist Government with Communist support for the first time in three decades.

The compromise ended a two-month political crisis t *no signalled an uneasy I truce in the power struggle ’ between the Vatican-backed) Christian Democrats and the ! Communists. But it left unsolved the: country’s basic problems of’ political _ violence, kidnap-( pings. 15-per-cent inflation, ; 1 .6 million . unemployment,: tnd industrial depression. The new all-Christian De-1' mocratic Cabinet sworn ini’ on Monday evening under!; the veteran Prime Minister (Mr Giulio Andreotti) will H have to show dramatic im-I provement on these fronts’! to avoid falling by early I ’ next year, some com-” mentators said. Il The Cabinet, in which all; but two Ministers served ;< under the previous Andreottil < Administration, will be rely- r mg on direct Communist' support in Parliament for | j the first time since 1947. i t Mr Andreotti’s last Gov-If eminent, which survived for!( 17 months on Communist abstention, collapsed on! lanuary 16 after the Com- < munists put in a claim for t Cabinet seats. < To end the crisis, he 1 prought the Communists, ' along with Socialists, Social t Democrats, and Republicans 1 into a five-party Parlia- t

mentary majority — one j iof the loosest and biggest ini ’ltalian history. f The introduction of Comi munists is a further step to-: ! wards the call by the Com-: munist leader, Enrico Ber-| linguer, for an “historic: : compromise" of power-shar- i ( ing between Communists I and non-Communists. But Mr Andreotti ciearlyi idemonstrated the limitations: lof the role when he retained’ ivirtually the same Cabinet,! (including hard-line Right-: (wingers like Carlo DonatI Catin. I The return of the old, 'guard to the Cabinet pro-; voked angry reaction and! underlined the fragility of; the new arrangement. “It's the same Ministry of ’ dead souls,” the respected’ daily, “La Repubblica,” com-; mented. But despite public com-1 plaints, the parties accept:, they will probably have to! get by with this patchwork's Government until next De-;] cember. The Constitution requires a six-month period without 1 elections before Parliament : chooses a new President. , President Giovanni Loeone, who has sworn in eight governments since he became 1 Head of State in 1971, is due < to be replaced in December. ,