born May 25, 1922, Sassari, Sardinia, Italy
died June 11, 1984, Padua
Italian politician.
Born into a middle-class Sardinian family, he joined the Communist Party in 1943 and held a series of party posts before becoming secretary-general in 1972, a post he would keep until his death. He became a leading advocate of "national communism," seeking independence from Moscow and favouring the adaptation of Marxism to local requirements. His proposal for a coalition government of Christian Democrats and communists was never realized.