IIIrd Congress (Extraordinary) of the Radical Party
Bologna, May 12, 13, 14, 1967

The first congress of the "new" Radical Party.
The third congress called to underscore the continuity in principle of the causes and programs that the old leaders of the party, founded in 1956, did not respect and, on the contrary, tried to liquidate. But in fact the purpose of this congress is to found the party anew beginning with new organisational structures, that will be chosen by approving the new statutes, and emphasising its libertarian and alternative aims. The overcoming of nationalism, anti-militarism, anti-clericalism and the fight for civil rights are the aims that the Congress is entrusting to the new Radical Party.

Gianfranco Spadaccia and Andrea Torelli are elected Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

GENERAL MOTION

The IIIrd Congress of the Radical Party wants to thank all those - democrats, Socialists, Communists, libertarians, non-violent pacifists, representatives of political, religious and civil rights groups - who participated in its work by making essential contributions to the debate and assuring the success of the intention to hold an open congress that will continue to be the method of the Radicals' political activity. All democratic citizens are invited to support the policy of overcoming nationalism, of anti-militarism, of the fight for civil rights: prospects in which the Congress has found and confirmed concrete and fundamental instruments for the transformation of society and the State.

Only by strengthening the Radical Party, which is the only one in Italy to make such aims the basis of its political activity, will it be possible to further the unity and renewal of the Italian left-wing around these objectives with the prospect of a global alternative to Christian Democratic power, thus overcoming indecision, complicity and collusion with the party of the regime.

The general debate and the work of the commissions have allowed for a thorough analysis of these issues about which there has been an ample consensus on the part of the delegates to the Congress, whether party members or not. The Congress entrusts the new party leaders the job of elaborating the conclusions contained in the reports presented by the congressional commissions.

Furthermore, the Congress emphasises the importance that the approval of the new statute has for the party and, more generally for Italian political life, with regard to approving the federational structuring of the party into autonomous regional groups, on self-financing by active party members, on the publishing of its budget, and on the independence of its basic organisations.

Thus the party intends to put into practice in its own organisation the libertarian aspirations of the citizens and workers who intend to actively participate in the political and social struggle.

The party would like to remind all Radicals and all others who intend to collaborate in asserting these goals of struggle and renewal, that another meeting for unity will take place at the next Congress in November.