A Little Quarrel, a Fine-Tuned Bluff – Folha de S. Paulo, April 1, 1973
by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
“Comrade” Enrico Berlinguer, secretary-general of the Italian Communist Party, was in Russia two weeks ago. The purpose of the trip was to normalize relations between the Russian and Italian communist parties, which had been strained for some time because of a serious problem.
In plain terms, without the beating around the bush that certain news reports engage in, this problem can be stated as follows: how independent is the ICP from the Russian Communist Party?
This question raises another, broader one: how independent are communist parties worldwide from Russia today? In other words, does Russia still lead the world communist revolution?
The scope of the question is clear.
If the international communist movement remains as united as it has always been, the various communist parties are nothing more than sectors of a single organization, with its supreme leadership in Moscow. Therefore, as long as a communist party comes to power in another country, the government it creates will obey Moscow entirely. This is equivalent to saying that such a country will have lost its sovereignty and become a mere Russian province.
On the contrary, if the Russian Communist Party no longer leads the various communist parties, a country can be governed by its own CP without becoming a Russian colony.
It is therefore understandable that serious observers have focused on Berlinguer’s trip to Moscow to set the record straight on this issue.
Which of the solutions—autonomy or subjugation of the CPs—is more consistent with communist doctrine? Certainly the latter. According to the classical authors of communism, since the world revolution is one, the Party must likewise be one throughout the world, and, in the final analysis, its driving force must likewise be one. And so it has been until recently.
However, the universal notoriety of this unity has brought serious setbacks to communist expansion worldwide.
Anticommunists often accuse communist parties of being mere Moscow puppets. Such accusations deter many sympathizers of communist doctrine from joining the communist movement.
In addition, it is well known that Russia is ruled by an iron-fisted dictatorship. If a communist party in a Western country has to obey Russian authority in the country where it establishes itself, it may, by its subordinate position, be led to implement a dictatorship in that country sooner or later. The dream cherished by so many people of a communist regime that is interventionist in economic matters but liberal in political matters is thus revealed to be utopian.
This makes the communists’ current goal of gaining power with the support of semi-communists and even non-communists, attracted by the enticing formula of “Revolution in Freedom” and the mirage of independence from Moscow, unattainable.
Therefore, the communists have every interest in creating the impression that the movement’s global unity is fractured.
* * *
That said, we understand in depth what has happened over the last two weeks regarding relations between the ICP and Moscow.
Enrico Berlinger, the most senior figure in the Italian Communist Party, went to Moscow for talks that produced a joint communiqué from the two Communist Parties, in which the Soviet Party recognized the autonomy of the Italian Communist Party.
However, this document alone would not be sufficient to reassure semi-communists or more cautious communists.
In concrete terms, the Russian Communist Party’s strange and surprising decision to renounce leading the Italian Communist Party, and, in theory, the leadership of all Communist Parties around the world, inevitably suggests a mere ploy.
Something more was needed to make the bluff convincing.
* * *
As expected—or rather, as feared—this “something more” arrived soon. It was a well-organized squabble between the two Communist parties.
After returning to Italy, the ICP’s secretary-general issued statements. The Kremlin also published a statement. Everything seemed perfectly coordinated. However, Pravda published a news item stating that the ICP’s position aligned entirely with Soviet policy and omitting the part of the joint statement affirming the autonomy of the two Communist parties. The Italian Communist Party then declared itself indignant and asserted that, despite Moscow’s wishes, it maintained its full independence.
This seemingly spontaneous little quarrel could not fail to deceive less astute observers. A fortiori, the man in the street must have said to himself: “This time they’ve really fought. These Italian communists are real men! They’ve broken with Moscow for good, and a communist government will not turn Italy into a Russian colony!” In other words, the bluff was perfectly executed.
This maneuver is of the utmost benefit to the communist movement worldwide, especially in Italy, which is likely to be Moscow’s next target.
