Il PSI e l’europeismo: dal Midas a Maastricht (1976-93)

Abstract

The essay, which opens with a reflection on the roots of socialist Europeanism
and draws also from unpublished archival papers, addresses the theoretical propositions
and practical initiatives of the PSI to promote the process of European
integration. The period under consideration starts with the election of Bettino
Craxi to the secretariat of the party and ends in 1993. This was a year in which,
after the end of the so-called First Republic followed the conclusion of the Cold
War, Europe was changing its face as a consequence of the Maastricht Treaty.
Despite the presence of significant innovations, from the reflections of PSI leaders
and like-minded intellectuals (Mario Zagari, Gaetano Arfè, Antonio Giolitti,
Giorgio Ruffolo, Michele Achilli and Craxi himself) emerge contradictions
and problems that, still today, weigh on the operation of the European Union,
with particular reference to both the complex relationship between the people
represented and their representatives, and the great difficulty of building a common
identity among the citizens of different countries to meet the challenges of
the globalized world.