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Flaminio Piccoli (28 December 1915 – 11 April 2000) was an Italian politician. He was a member of
Christian Democracy Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well ...
until its dissolution in 1994, then a member of the United Christian Democrats and finally of the Rebirth of Christian Democracy.


Biography

Piccoli was born in
Kirchbichl Kirchbichl is a municipality in the Kufstein District in the Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, s ...
,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, where his family had been deported during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Son of Bennone, archivist in the Austrian administration, and Teresa Rigo, he was the last of four brothers (preceded by Ada, Nilo and Adone). Returning to Trentino after the conflict, he studied in the schools of
Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin language, Ladin and ; ; ; ; ; ), also known in English as Trent, is a city on the Adige, Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the Trentino, autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th ...
. Subsequently, he enrolled at the
Ca' Foscari University of Venice Ca' Foscari University of Venice (), or simply Ca' Foscari, is a public research university and business school in Venice, Italy. Since its foundation in 1868, it has been housed in the Venetian Gothic palace of Ca' Foscari, from which it takes ...
where he graduated in Foreign Languages and Literatures, presenting a thesis on Baudelaire's poetics. In these years he took part in the Catholic movement of Trentino, animated by the archbishop Celestino Endrici. At the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he was sent to the front as captain of the
Alpini The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operati ...
. He was engaged in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
,
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
, the
Dauphiné The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was ...
; after 8 September 1943 he was taken prisoner and managed to escape from the German convoy which was to lead him to a concentration camp in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. Actively participate in the Resistance and the Liberation War, representing
Christian Democracy Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well ...
(DC). On 7 May 1945, he was in charge of relations with the press. In August 1945 he founded the local newspaper "Il Popolo Trentino", which in 1951 took the name of
L'Adige ''l'Adige'' is an Italian local daily newspaper, based in Trento. It is sold in Trentino and is the most read newspaper in the region, along with its main rivals Corriere del Trentino and Trentino. History and profile ''l'Adige'' was founded i ...
, and was its editor in chief until 1977. Also during 1945 he married Maria Cescatti. After a long experience in journalism, he became general secretary of the International Federation of Catholic Journalists and for many years President of the Union of the Italian Catholic Press. He became president of the diocesan junta of the Trentino
Catholic Action Catholic Action is a movement of Catholic laity, lay people within the Catholic Church which advocates for increased Catholic influence on society. Catholic Action groups were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic cou ...
, called in 1952 by Archbishop Carlo De Ferrari. During this mandate Piccoli, together with Monsignor Alfonso Cesconi, claims the need for distinction between the religious and spiritual formation tasks of Catholic associations and the political and autonomous role of the party. This position also cost him an intervention by
L'Osservatore Romano ''L'Osservatore Romano'' is the daily newspaper of Vatican City which reports on the activities of the Holy See and events taking place in the Catholic Church and the world. It is owned by the Holy See but is not an official publication, a role ...
and his removal from the diocesan presidency of the Trentino Catholic association. In 1957 he became provincial secretary of the Trentino Christian Democrats. In the 1958 elections he was elected for the first time to the Chamber of Deputies. He was continuously elected as deputy until 1992, when he was elected senator in the constituency of
Castellammare di Stabia Castellammare di Stabia (; ) is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania region, in southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento. History Castellammare di Stabia ...
(NA). Within the part he participated in the current of Democratic Initiative, which marked the transition from the degasperian generation to the so-called "second generation" and, subsequently, in the early 1960s, participated in the foundation of the "Dorotean faction". On 19 January 1969, Piccoli was elected national secretary of the party, a position he voluntarily left in the autumn of the same year following the division of the Dorotean faction into the factions "Popular Initiative" (the majority area that referred to Piccoli, Rumor and Bisaglia) and "Democratic Commitment" (which instead brought together the exponents who recognize themselves in Emilio Colombo and Giulio Andreotti). Arnaldo Forlani succeeded him in as secretary. He served as Minister of State Holdings from 1970 to 1972, he was elected President of the Christian Democratic Parliamentary Group of the Chamber in the VI Legislature (25 May 1972 to 4 July 1976); subsequently it was the group leader of DC also in the VII Legislature (from 15 July 1976 to 2 October 1978). In 1978, after
Aldo Moro Aldo Moro (; 23 September 1916 – 9 May 1978) was an Italian statesman and prominent member of Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democracy (DC) and its centre-left wing. He served as prime minister of Italy in five terms from December 1963 ...
's death, he replaced him as president of the national party council. On 5 March 1980 he was re-elected national political secretary, a position he held until 1982, initiating a process of opening up Christian Democracy to the Catholic world leading to the National Assembly of "outsiders" and the direct involvement in politics of many intellectuals from the Catholic area. After the 1982 Congress in Rome, which elected
Ciriaco De Mita Luigi Ciriaco De Mita (; 2 February 1928 – 26 May 2022) was an Italian politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Italy from April 1988 to July 1989. A member of the Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democracy (DC), De Mita ...
as political secretary, he was again called to the presidency of the National Council, a position held until May 1986. From 1986 to 1989 he held the position of President of the Christian Democratic International, and was elected President of the Foreign Commission of the Chamber. As president of the Foreign Commission, in April 1988 he made a trip to the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, during which he pronounced some phrases related to the Italian expedition to Russia in the Second World War that aroused controversial reactions (especially by MP
Mirko Tremaglia Mirko Tremaglia (17 November 1926 – 30 December 2011) was an Italian politician and lawyer. Famous for his youth as a fascist soldier, he was one of the most important exponents of the Italian far-right politics during the "First Republic" Ita ...
of the
Italian Social Movement The Italian Social Movement (, MSI) was a neo-fascist political party in Italy. A far-right party, it presented itself until the 1990s as the defender of Italian fascism's legacy, and later moved towards national conservatism. In 1972, the Itali ...
, also a member of the commission) and a debate in the Chamber. In particular, he said he was happy that Italy has lost the war because it has regained freedom and that those who started the war do not deserve Christian burial. Following the mafia charges brought by the
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
prosecutor against
Giulio Andreotti Giulio Andreotti ( ; ; 14 January 1919 – 6 May 2013) was an Italian politician and wikt:statesman, statesman who served as the 41st prime minister of Italy in seven governments (1972–1973, 1976–1979, and 1989–1992), and was leader of th ...
, Piccoli intervened in his defense, stating that "whoever strikes Andreotti actually wants to weaken the role of Italy in Europe". At the end of a long judicial process, Andreotti's liability for events prior to 1980 will be recognized, for which he will however be acquitted by prescription; while for those after 1980 he will be acquitted for not having committed the fact. Piccoli was against the dissolution of the Christian Democrats and didn't join the Italian People's Party upon its foundation in 1994. In 1995 he approached the United Christian Democrats party (CDU), born from the initiative of
Rocco Buttiglione Rocco Buttiglione (; born 6 June 1948) is an Italian Union of Christian and Centre Democrats politician and an academic. Buttiglione's nomination for a post as European Commissioner with a portfolio that was to include civil liberties, resulted ...
. In 1997 he founded the movement for the Rebirth of Christian Democracy (RDC) with other former Christian Democrats, placing it in an alternative center position on the left. The movement did not have large memberships, but participated, also under different denominations, in some local administrative consultations. He died in Rome on 11 April 2000E' morto Piccoli grande padre della Dc
/ref> and was buried in the Monumental Cemetery of Trento.


References


External links


treccani.it
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piccoli, Flaminio 1915 births 2000 deaths Christian Democracy (Italy) politicians 20th-century Italian politicians Italian Roman Catholics