Enrico Berlinguer [SEP] father
respected for his principles, conviction and bold stands. He characterised the PCI as an honest party in Italy's corruption-ravaged politics, an image that preserved the party's reputation during the "Mani pulite" corruption scandals. He was characterised by Patrick McCarthy as "the last great communist leader in Western Europe" and remains identified with the causes of Eurocommunism, opposition to Soviet repression in Eastern Europe and democratic change in Italy. He was an atheist.
Early political career.
The son of Mario Berlinguer and Maria
libera" ("Free Sardinia") which attracted him the hostility of the Fascist regime. After the armistice with Italy (September 1943), he joined the Action Party. For the latter Berlinguer was a member of the second government formed by Pietro Badoglio in southern Italy.
In 1945 he was named to the Consulta Nazionale and collaborated to the elaboration of the special regional status for Sardinia. He was a deputy for PSI from 1948 to 1953.
He was the father of Giovanni and Enrico Berlinguer, outstanding members