Abstract
Autore:
Bettinelli Ernesto
Titolo:
"“Agli scoraggiati del nostro futuro”: la preparazione sapiente dell’Assemblea Costituente come “autodisciplina democratica”"
For the purposes of the preparation
of the Constituent Assembly, the Parri
Government instituted a special Ministry in July
1945, presided over by the Vice-President of the
Council, Pietro Nenni, who managed to involve
in its intense activity the best intellectual energies
of the country. They were entrusted with the
task of collecting and elaborating, with objectiveness
and scientific rigour, all the material,
especially of a historical and juridical nature,
that could facilitate the choices of the upcoming
Assembly. Particular attention was paid to the
contemporary international constitutional experiences,
without any ideological prejudice. The
series of studies published by the Ministry and
its “Bulletin”, published regularly every ten
days, confirm this trend and this method. The
Ministry also gave life to three important thematic
Commissions (reorganization of the State,
economy, labour) composed of academics
and technicians of proven competence and of
various ideological orientation, charged with
signaling to the Constituent Assembly all the
possible solutions to initiate the necessary reforms
in view of the “rebirth” of Italy, after the
disasters of war and fascism. In the same period,
the National Council, an anticipation of parliamentary
democracy shared by all the forces
of the cln, albeit devoid of popular legitimacy
and decision-making powers, reaccustomed Italians
to pluralism and free political and social
confrontation. Such a virtuous interlacement
of politics and culture at the highest levels, and
the mass pedagogical effort to mobilize all the
“living forces” of the nation in an open and public
discussion on Italy’s (not only institutional)
future, contributed significantly to revitalize a
civil society not yet completely emancipated
from the apathy and conformism of the “single
thought” of the previous regime.
