He is one of the defenders of European Communism: Who is Enrico Berlinguer?

Italian politician. He is an advocate of European Communism. He was born on May 25, 1922, in Sassari. After 1937, Berlinguer came into contact with anti-fascist groups, and in 1943 he enrolled in the Italian Communist Party (PCI). He was the secretary of the Sassari Branch Youth Organization of the party. He was arrested for a while on the grounds that he participated in the anti-fascist popular uprising that started in Sassari in January 1944. He was a member of the International Communist Youth Organization at the end of 1944, and General Secretary of the Communist Youth Federation between 1949-1956; Between 1950-1953, he took part in the World Youth Federation. In 1945 he was elected a member of the PCI central committee. He was elected deputy from Rome in the parliamentary elections on May 19, 1968. He was appointed as the deputy general secretary of the Italian Communist Party at the XII Congress held in Rome in 1969, and as the general secretary at the XIII Congress held in Milan in 1972. Berlinguer, who has been the general secretary since that date, is also a member of the European Parliament.

Enrico Berlinguer (25 May 1922 – 11 June 1984) was an Italian politician, considered the most popular leader of the Italian Communist Party (PCI), which he led as the national secretary from 1972 until his death during a tense period in Italy's history, marked by the Years of Lead and social conflicts, such as the Hot Autumn of 1969–1970.

Berlinguer is one of the representatives of the political movement known as “European Communism”. Starting from the early 1970s, the Italian Communist Party, together with the French Communist Party and the Spanish Communist Party, rejected the concept of the dictatorship of the proletariat and advocated a transition to socialism through a parliamentary way within a Western-type pluralistic political structure. The remarkable feature of the Italian Communist Party in "European Communism" is that it developed the problem of alliance with other political parties in the form of "historical reconciliation" and tried to realize it in the political life of Italy.

Berlinguer used the concept of "historical reconciliation" for the first time in an article published in the party's media organ, Rinascita ("Rebirth") in 1973, and argued that the new strategy he proposed was an extension of the views of Togliatti and Gramsci. The "historical reconciliation" gained currency when the PCI offered to form a coalition government with the Christian Democrats after the 1976 general elections, but it did not materialize as a result of both the disagreements within the party and the Christian Democrats' refusal to compromise.

Berlinguer argues that there is more than one way to transition to socialism. According to him, the path followed by the PCI is not the path represented by the October Revolution in Russia or the path followed by other socialist countries. “Eurocommunism”, on the other hand, does not claim to offer universally valid solutions. According to Berlinguer, the democratic parliamentary structure in Italy was achieved as a result of the struggle of the Italian people and the working class. This heritage must be preserved and developed. The transition to socialism will take place through the democratic structure and within the multi-party system. On the other hand, the freedom of social organizations and trade unions must be guaranteed in a socialist society. The transition to socialism requires democratic planning of the economy. Ownership of all means of production need not pass into the hands of the state for the purposes of socialism to be realized. The private and public sectors can coexist within the framework of a democratic plan. The formation of such a plan presupposes a democratic political power.

According to Berlinguer, who argued that the transition to socialism required an alliance between progressive forces, parties in Italy do not represent a direct reflection of class interests. In this context, an alliance should also be made with the Christian Democratic Party, where the working class votes have been gathered to a large extent, as well as the Socialist Party. It is beneficial for the left movement that Italian communists, who are in favor of religious freedom, engage with Catholic forces; because it will also open the way for rapprochement with progressive elements within the Christian Democratic Party. Left parties should not pursue a strategy that contrasts internal and external contradictions, because, as seen in the examples of Greece and Chile, polarization in social and political conflicts paves the way for authoritarian regimes.

According to Berlinguer, peaceful coexistence, and cooperation between countries with different political systems are necessary for the survival and progress of humanity. International detente, the resolution of conflicts between countries through negotiations, disarmament, and international economic order are indispensable elements of this process. Berlinguer criticized the line followed by the USSR in 1968 Czechoslovakia, 1979 Afghanistan, and 1980 Poland incidents on foreign policy. Approving Italy's NATO membership, Berlinguer believes in Europe that a democratic, progressive, and peaceful European Community will be beneficial in the transition to socialism. He advocated the participation of the Italian Communist Party in organizations such as the EEC (European Economic Community) and the European Parliament, contributing to their democratic development.