Rome, December 15--R.N.--The First Secretary of the Radical Party, Sergio Stanzani, on the occasion of the death of Andrej Sacharov states:
"In our actions, our non-violent actions, for the restoration of democracy in East Europe, Andrej Sacharov has for years been our point of reference, both an ideal and real interlocutor.
When the Radical Party 'adopted' nine Soviet Refuzniks, who were eventually liberated when we began non-violent action in the USSR, and in all the East European countries, the non-violent protest of the Soviet physicist was the immediate point of reference and comparison for the East Europeans.
The project of the transnational Radical Party which continues in the Soviet Union as well as in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland... will assume direct responsibility to continue Sacharov's actions and campaigns. One of the last of these was his appeal for the liberation of journalist Serghej Kuznetsov, condemned a few weeks ago for having criticized the KGB. Sacharov, up to the very end, continued to call Soviet and international public attention to the continued struggle for human rights, not stopping at the surface of change. The RP will continue to work so that, as Sacharov requested, the road towards democracy continues in a truly 'radical' manner".
November 22, 2989
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: FINALLY FREE RADICAL JOHN BOK OF PRAGUE. THE RP CONFIRMS THE DEMONSTRATIONS FOR TOMORROW BEFORE THE CZECHOSLOVAK EMBASSIES IN ROME, MOSCOW, BUDAPEST, LISBON, MADRID AND WARSAW.
Prague, November 22--R.N.--John Bok, the Czech Radical arrested last Friday during the first of the large demonstrations in Prague was finally freed yesterday at 6:30 P.M. Why he was arrested, or whether charges were actually made against him or not, is still a mystery, even to him.
November 23, 1989
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: DEMONSTRATIONS BY THE RADICAL PARTY BEFORE THE CZECHOSLOVAK EMBASSIES IN ROME, MOSCOW, BUDAPEST, LISBON, MADRID AND WARSAW: THE FIRST IN EUROPE FOR DEMOCRACY IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA. FOR THE IMMEDIATE LIBERATION OF THE POLITICAL PRISONERS. GIOVANNI NEGRI AND GABRIELE PACI, EXPELLED FROM CZECHOSLOVAKIA FOR LIFE IN AUGUST OF 1988 REQUEST THE REVOCATION OF THAT DECISION .
Rome, November 23--R.N.--This is the first real sign of support to reach Czechoslovakia since last Friday when the extraordinary event in progress began: the Radical Party today organized a series of demonstrations in ROME, BUDAPEST, LISBON, MADRID and WARSAW, before the Czechoslovak Embassies, for freedom, democracy and rights in Czechoslovakia, for immediate dialogue and liberation of political prisoners (in particular Petr Uhl, arrested a few days ago, and Jana Petrov, arrested a few hours ago).
In Rome the demonstrators carried placards on which were written "Svoboda for Czechoslovakia", "Svoboda for Petr Uhl and Jana Petrova".
During the parliamentary demonstration, Giovanni Negri and Gabriele Paci, Director of "Radical News", consigned a letter to the ambassador, requesting the revocation of the provision of 'expulsion for life' for the Radicals who, last year, on August 28, the twentieth anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia, demonstrated in Saint Wenceslaus Square. Besides Negri and Paci, a dozen other Italians (Vicenzo Donvito, Paola Caravaggi, Lucio Berte;, Antonio Lalli, Massimo Lensi, Giuseppe Lorenzi, Andrea Tamburi, Monica Cozzi, Massimo Fraticelli, Maddalena Traversi...) were reserved the same treatment, together with Antonia Brown (USA), Jose, Arias and Begonia Rodriguez (Spain), Jean Luc Robert, and Georges Van Gassen (Belgium)...
November 28, 1989
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: MESSAGE FROM THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE RADICAL PARTY STANZANI TO VACLAV HAVEL AND THE CIVIC FORUM OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA.
Rome, November 28--R.N.--The First Secretary of the transnational Radical Party, sent the following message to Vaclav Havel and the Civic Forum of Czechoslovakia.
Dear Friends,
In the same measure that the Radical Party, with its limited forces but iron determination, has attempted to be with you in other more difficult occasions, the transnational Radical Party is today with you in Saint Wenceslaus Square, in Rome, in Budapest, in Moscow and in Brussels, sharing your emotion, joy, and your great hope.
And--I am firmly convinced--it is the intensity and range of those hopes, yours and ours, in and for Czechoslovakia, as well as those created by the renewals in Poland and Hungary first and East Germany and Bulgaria afterwards, which must induce us all, in the East and West, in the North and South of Europe, to reflect together and create--with care, but also with urgency--our common federal future, founded on democracy and tolerance.
Dear Czechoslovak friends,
Europe, our common Europe, needs you, it needs your enthusiasm, your imagination, your intelligence and your efforts, if it is to go beyond its present form, which is prevalently confederate, economically-oriented and mercantile for rich countries, to stimulate new ambitions, choosing with decision political federation, also with those in Central and East Europe have decided, or will, to take once more the road to and with democracy.
For this reason, it is necessary to avoid underestimating the importance for all of us of what you are doing now. For this reason, we ask you to not neglect the determinant role which the citizens of Europe as a whole could give to your strong and clear demand for a united, federal and democratic Europe, founded on rights--in other words, an explicit request for a United States of Europe as the basis for the rebirth of Czechoslovakia.
November 29, 1989
GORBACIOV'S VISIT: THE DEMONSTRATION IN ROME, AT 5:00 P.M., ON THE STAIRS OF TRINITA DEI MONTI, OF "100 CANDLES FOR GORBACIOV", DURING THE FIRST DAY OF THE SOVIET PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO ITALY. AMONG THOSE PRESENT: LEONID PLIUSC AND ROMAN SPECTOR.
Rome, November 29--R.N.--From 5:00 to 6:30 P.M., in Rome, on the stairs of Trinita dei Monti, the demonstration of "100 Candles for Gorbaciov", announced by the Radical Association 'Peace and Freedom', together with the Helsinki Committee of Italy. This is the only action which is not totally uncritical as regards the Soviet President announced for today in Rome. Antonio Stagno, who organized the demonstration, stated: "We aim at 'shedding light', on the first day of Gorbaciov's visit to Italy, on the unresolved aspects of the situation in the USSR, from the rights of the various nationalities to the lack for Soviet citizens of authentic freedom of association, freedom of the press and freedom of movement, within and outside the borders". Among the candle-lit slogans, in Italian, Russian and English, were: "Europe needs a democratic USSR", "Let's Create a Europe of Rights Together", "Perestrojka is OK, but Democracy is Better", "Self-determination for the Peoples of the USSR" and "Freedom for Conscientiou
s Objectors". Also present was the Ukrainian mathematician, Leonid Pljusc, who came purposely for the occasion from Paris, and who for years has campaigned in particular for the legalization of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Roman Spector, the head of the Jewish Cultural Association of Moscow.
December 11, 1989
YUGOSLAVIA: DEMONSTRATION IN ZAGREB. 40,000 SIGNATURES COLLECTED IN ONE DAY FOR THE PETITION FOR CIVIL AND POLITICAL FREEDOM. THE RADICAL PARTY WAS REPRESENTED BY FEDERAL COUNCIL MEMBER VITO CESMADZISKI AND FEDERAL COUNCIL SECRETARY SANDRO OTTONI.
Zagreb, December 11--R.N.--Vito Cesmadziski, Radical Party Federal Council member, stated:
"It has been successful beyond our most optimistic expectations, and in spite of the fears on the eve of the event; in particular we did not expect such a crowd for the collection of signatures. By ll:00 A.M., yesterday, 10,000 persons had signed the petition for civil and political rights and the flow of citizens in Piazza della Repubblica continued non-stop all day.
Over 20,000 signatures were collected in Zagreb alone. Another 20,00 were collected by the various promotor groups in the other Croatian cities. The final demonstration of candles was at that point only the ratification of a success which was by then obvious. The alternative groups and parties in Croatia will, from now on, have a more substantial political weight and a much more important political role.
When, as rotating president for coordination of the alternative groups, I sustained the necessity of a general public effort to confer dignity to what were still merely new symbols, rather than new parties, I encountered more fear than consensus. But during the past week, as the line to attempt to meet with the Croatian Parliament and Government met with total failure, the decision was finally taken to come out into the open--and subsequent events have confirmed the wisdom of that choice. The task now is to decide how to organize ourselves in the days to come in order to fully utilize the recognition conferred on us by the Croatian people.
December 11, 1989
BELGRADE: MEETING-DEBATE ON THE THEME, "DEMOCRATIC AND NON-VIOLENT ACTIONS IN SUPPORT OF YUGOSLAVIA'S ENTRANCE INTO THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY". ALSO PARTICIPATING AT THE ASSEMBLY ORGANIZED BY THE RADICALS OF BELGRADE WAS SENATOR SPADACCIA.
On December 11, 1989, a public debate was held in the Student Centre on the theme, "Democratic and Non-Violent Action in Support of Yugoslavia's Entrance into the European Community". Participating in the debate were some Radical exponents: Gianfranco Spadaccia, Italian Senator, Lazar Stojanovic, director and Radical Party member from Belgrade, Sandro Ottoni, Federal Secretary, Vito Cesmadziski, member of the Federal Council, Zeljko Rosko, Radical Party member and member of DJES (Pro-Europe Association of Crotian Journalists).
To a vast audience of intellectuals, students and representatives of Serbian political organizations, referring in particular to recent events in East Europe, Spadaccia declared that: "Europe needs Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary. The European Community must open to these countries, all of which finds themselves in the position that, if they are to achieve further development of their industrial economies, they must become inserted in the vaster Continental market." Spadaccia also expressed his hope that in the countries of the ex-Hapsburg Empire relations would be created as soon as possible not only for cooperation, but also for political integration.
Despite a lively and controversial debate on national Yugoslav issues, the hope expressed on closing that Yugoslavia would succeed in becoming the next "star" of the European Community, provoked enthusiastic applause.
