Signor PietrO Nenni, the wily old Socialist leader, clearly stated
the left-wing tactics: " You Christian Democrats now have no choice but to decide whether to be a party. of reaction or of progress. If you decide on progress, you will always find us one step ahead of you." As long as the Christian Democrats remain victim to this blackmail, the extreme left-wing repre- sents for a vast mass of voters the only hope of a real attack on the bitter problems of unemployment, lack of housimz, inefficient management of agriculture and industry, colossal tax evasion and a dangerous gulf between rich and poor. At the same time any government supported (and inevitably in time infiltrated) by Communists and fellow travellers would have difficulty in explaining itself to General Eisenhower and Mr. Dulles, not to speak of Mrs. Clare Boothe Luce, their ambas- sador in Rome. Fanfani's fall represents the failure of the Christian Democrat party to inject definite political movement into its own vast bulk, and into the other western democratic forces in Italy. The party must now resign itself to the mechanics of the parliamentary situation, in which it needs about 50 votes for a working majority. It will have to seek these votes where it can—and pay for them.
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