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Rise and Fall of the Pentapartito Coalition in Italian Politics

Explore the rise and fall of the Pentapartito coalition in Italy during the 1980s and early 1990s, including the dominance of the Christian Democrats, the corruption scandals, and the party's dissolution.

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Rise and Fall of the Pentapartito Coalition in Italian Politics

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  1. The “Pentapartito” • At the beginningof 1980s the DC hadlost part ofitsstrangleholdoverItalianvoters. • In 1981 Giovanni Spadolini ( PRI :ItalianRepublican Party) was the first non Christian Democrattolead a governmentsince 1944 (a coalitioncomprising the DC, the PSI, the PSDI, the PRI and the PLI, the so-calledPentapartito.) • In the 1983 generalelections the DC receivedonly 32.5% of the vote cast . • Subsequently Bettino Craxi (leader of the rising PSI) reclaimedforhimself the post of Prime Minister Pentapartitogovernment. DC re-gained the post of Prime Minister in 1987 and the Pentapartitocoalitiongoverned Italy almostcontinuouslyuntil 1993.

  2. Subsequently Bettino Craxi (leader of the rising PSI) reclaimed for himself the post of Prime Minister, again at the head of a Pentapartito government • DC re-gained the post of Prime Minister in 1987 and the Pentapartito coalition governed Italy almost continuously until 1993.

  3. The dissolution of DC In 1992 aninvestigationwasstarted in Milan, dubbedMani pulite. Ituncoveredendemiccorruptionpractices at the highestlevels, causingmanyspectacular (and sometimescontroversial) arrests and resignations. After the dismayingresult in the 1992 generalelection (29.7%) and twoyearsofmountingscandals (whichincludedseveral Mafia investigationsthattouchednotably Andreotti), the party wasdisbanded in 1994. In January 1994 the last DC secretary Mino Martinazzoli decidedtochange the nameof the party to the Italian People's Party. Pier Ferdinando Casini, representing the centre-rightfactionof the party decidedtolaunch a new party called Christian DemocraticCentre and toformanalliancewith Silvio Berlusconi's new party, Forza Italia. In 1994–2000 most Christian Democratsjoined Forza Italia, whichwouldlaterbecome the party with more ex-DCmembers in absoluteterms.

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