N. 196
Summary - The essay examines what the author considers Leo Valian
ìs fourth civil and political battle, subsequent to his fight against Fascism (leading to his imprisonment and exile), his role in the Resistance, and his role in the Constituent Assembly. Through an analysis of the Hundred or so articles by Valiani, mostly published in the Corriere della Sera between the 1970s and the 1990s, the author makes three points: first, Valiani always condemned terrorism, of whatever political colour (whether extreme left of extreme right), in the strongest possible terms; secondo, he also condemned the weaknesses - indeed, the incompetence and failings - of the organs of the Italian state, especially during the fourteen governments that covered the period from Spring 1970 (Rumor's third administration) to Winter 1980 (Forlanìs administration); third, he continually invited those in power to "change their ways" by bringing in more direct legislation and intervention to defeat those many elements that were "sowing the seeds of violence and death". Although his articles were written in the heat of the moment, and were therefore directly influenced by the terrible events of the time, those of the bloody, so-called "years of lead" (anni di piombo), Valiani always maintained a "long-lasting" perspective (as Fernand Bruadel puts it), in the sense that he never limited himself to an "instant" criticism of that had happened, but was able to look to the past to clarify certain "precedents" in nineteenth and twentieth century European history and so explain how and why, when those in government are unable to defend themselves from certain kinds of subversion, an institutional crisis can be worsened and the survival of the democratic order itself can be threatened. It is therefore clear that for Valiani, terrorism is not an invincible phenomenon, but it can be fought only if one has the will and ability to reform and render functional what he called the model of the "just, strong, clean state". Unfortunately, the author concludes, such a state has yet to be realized.