ABSTRACT: Deputies and citizens, members of the Radical Party, from Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Croatia, France, Holland, Hungary, Israel, Italy, the Ivory Coast, Kossov, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, the Soviet Union, Spain, and the United States will meet from 31 October to 3 November in Zagreb, if possible, for the second session of the Federal Council.

(The Party New, n.4, September 1991)

After a pause which had lasted from January 1990, the Federal Council of the Radical Party met in Rome from the 19 to the 22 September 1991.

The first session - the second will be held in Zagreb, if possible, from 31 October to 3 November - was opened by the reports of the First Secretary, Sergio Stanzani, and the Treasurer, Paolo Vigevano, together with a speech by Marco Pannella, President of the Federal Council.

The Federal Council discussed the following issues: the situation of the Radical Party more than two years after the Budapest Congress which assigned "full congressional powers" to Emma Bonino, Marco Panella, Sergio Stanzani, and Paolo Vigevano, who represent the Party, maintaining their own individual responsibilities; the situation of the European Community, a point introduced by a speech by Carlo Ripa di Meana, a member of the European Commission, who had joined the Radical Party a few days previously; the Yugoslavian situation (the motion approved by unanimous vote, which is binding only for the executive organs of the party, is reprinted elsewhere in this issue); the progress of the publishing and political aspects of the transnational project (a point introduced by Emma Bonino, President of the Radical Party).

An informal part of the meeting was devoted to the debate on the Italian situation, and in particular to the Party's decision to take an active part in the campaign to collect signatures for the popular referendums concerning eight laws (these include: the law which allows public financing of political parties; the law on drugs, which is prohibitionist in character and favours the punishment of drug-users; the law which regulates elections to the Senate - a single-member system is proposed).

Deputies and citizens, members of the Radical Party, from Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Croatia, France, Holland, Hungary, Israel, Italy, the Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, the Soviet Union and the United States took part in four days of animated and constructive debate.

The dramatic situation in the Balkans was depicted in speeches by representatives from: Slovenia (Aurelio Juri, Mayor of Capodistria; Zoran Thaler, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ciril Zlobec, member of the presidency of the Republic; Jasa Zlobec, member of Parliament); Croatia (Ivan Zvonimir Cicak, President of the Peasants Party; Lidija Jurkovic, Vice-President of the Social-Liberal Party; Zdravko Tomac, Vice-President of the Government); the Kossov (Hyseini Agim, representative of the independent union; Umberto Bytyqi, former Vice-Minister of the Economy; Lazer Krasniqi, President of the Christian Democrat Party; Abdullah Karjagdiu, Vice-President of the Christian Democrat Party; Mark Krasniqi, President of the "Forum of Albanian Intellectuals"; Simon Kuzhnini, President of the "Maria Teresa Association"; Shkelzen Maliqi, President of the Socialdemocratic Party; Mirie Rushani, Vice-President of the Liberal Party).

The following deputies of the National Czechoslovakian Parliament also spoke: Dezidr Balog, Ondreij Gina, and Zdenek Guzi of the ROI (Romany Civic Initiative), as well as Emil Scuka, the President of the ROI.

The following Romanian deputies spoke: Anton Nicolau, representative of the Greek minority; Gheorghe Raducanu, President of the Romany Democratic Party; Catalin Radulescu, secretary of the Foreign Committee of the Chamber of Deputies.

As well as Alexander Kalinin, member of the Mossoviet (who during the Federal Council ended his hunger strike, which he had begun two weeks previously, on hearing that his demands that democratic rules should be followed in his parliamentary assembly had been accepted), representatives from the Soviet Union who spoke included the following: Oktaj Akmedov and Etibar Mamedov, members of the Soviet Supreme; Mamuka Tsagareli, member of the Congress of Giorgia; Dimitri Zapolskij, member of the Lensoviet; Anatoly Zheludkov, member of the Lensoviet.

Finally, the following Italian parliamentarians intervened (listed according to parliamentary groups): Peppino Calderisi, President, Roberto Cicciomessere, Giovanni Negri, Alessandro Tessari, Bruno Zevi, Honorary President of the Radical Party (European Federalist Group, Chamber of Deputies); Willer Bordon (PDS Group, former Communist Party Group, Chamber of Deputies); Renč Andreani, Gianni Matteoli (Green Group, Chamber of Deputies); Franco Corleone, Lorenzo Strik Lievers, President (European Federalist Ecologist Group, Senate).

The following are non-Italian parliamentarians who were not able to speak at the first session of the Federal Council: Shulamit Aloni, member of the Israeli parliament; Georges Donnez, France, member of the European Parliament; Alexander Koshevarov, member of the Mossoviet; Anton Lintzmayer, member of the Romanian Parliament; Vladimir Moskovka, member of the Soviet Supreme of the Ukraine; Vojtech Wagner, Czechoslovakian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Federal Council of the Radical Party also includes the following parliamentarians: Adelaide Aglietta, President, Virgilio Bettini, Marco Taradash, elected on the Anti-Prohibitionist ticket (Green Group, European Parliament); Gaetano Azzolina (Mixed Group, Italian Chamber of Deputies); Giovan Battista Columbu (Sardinian Action Party); Giulio Cardetti, Mario Del Bue, Mario Raffaelli, Carlo Tognoli, Minister for Tourism and the Performing Arts (Socialist Group, Chamber of Deputies); Gianfranco Mariotti, Domenico Modugno (European Federalist Ecologist Group, Italian Senate); Carmine Nardone (PDS Group, Chamber of Deputies); Ilona Staller (European Federalist Group, Chamber of Deputies).

Significant contributions to the debate were made by the following: Basile Guissou, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Co-operation, Burkina Faso, during the Sankara Government; Albert Blaustein and Mario Oriani-Ambrosini, United States, President and Vice-President of the Philadelphia Constitutional Foundation.

At the conclusion of the session, the Federal Council witnessed a remarkable event: for the first time, at least in Europe, people with responsibilities in current Governments committed themselves to becoming activists in a Ghandian organization of nonviolence, liberty, justice, and strength, and not just of pacifism in general. The Radical Party was joined, in fact, by Zoran Thaler, Slovenian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Zdravko Tomac, Vice-President of the Government of Croatia.

Mirie Rushani

Vice-President of the Liberal Party of Kosovo

"Before now I hated the word 'politics'. I think this is true of everyone who lives in the East, because politics meant everything that can exist against the individual, against freedom, against culture.

In the Radical Party I have found what I had been seeking for many years: I am joining a political force that views international matters in the same way that two friends exchange their own feelings, without ulterior ends."

Zdravko Tomac

Vice-President of the Government of Croatia

"I have joined your organization not only to thank you for what you have done so far and for what you are doing and intend to do for the freedom of my people, but also because, as a member of the Radical Party, when it is necessary to fight for the rights of another people, I will feel obliged to mobilize all my people and do what you have done for us. I promise that we will meet again soon, in Croatia, because that which you have been willing to do demonstrates that love between peoples and the battle for freedom are greater than any violence."

Alexander Kalinin

Deputy of the Mossoviet

"It has been a great honour and a great pleasure for me to take part for the first time in the proceedings of the Federal Council of the Radical Party. I have joined this Party because it is a Party which fights for the rights of the individual and the humanization of society and the State, but I have had difficulty understanding its transnational character.

In order to understand it, I have had to come and see it at work, to see your way of working. Now I am convinced that the choice to become transnational, despite all the difficulties it involves, is right, full of possibilities, and unique in that is it a political choice.

I am convinced that by working well much can be achieved to organize this political force."

Basile Guissou

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Co-operation in the Government of President Sankara, Burkina Faso

"Africa refuses to remain for much longer the continent of famine, of ignorance, of diseases, especially Aids, and of bloody dictatorships which prevent democracy, the life of rights and the right to life.

A new civilized society, political parties, trade unions, and associations of all sorts are slowly but surely forming real opposition forces.

The Radical message is gaining more and more ground in Africa. The transnational project of the new Party is winning friends: the Radical Association for Rights in Africa (AREDA) has managed to recruit more than two hundred members in only one year of legal existence in Burkina."

Zoran Thaler

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia

"In 1988, after meeting Marco Pannella in Belgrade, I joined the Radical Party for the first time. I am now paying my membership fee once again, above all because I have been impressed by the debate, the analysis and the concrete nature of the proposals of this Federal Council. The motion passed on the situation in the ex-Yugoslvia is, in fact, amongst the most serious documents that have been drawn up during recent weeks in Europe and the world."

Hans Walter Janitschek

Former Secretary General of the Socialist International, currently UN advisor.

"If I had to explain why I have joined the Radical Party, I would choose just one word: Hope.

The fact that the Party is made up of people who maintain their own diversity would be sufficient reason in itself. The Radical Party represents the alternative, it is the Party of the future, in the sense that it does not restrict itself to examining problems, but also looks for solutions."

Carlo Ripa di Meana

Member of the Commission of the European Community, responsible for problems of the Environment

"Like other Socialist activists, I am rejoining the Radical Party at a particularly difficult moment for Europe and for our country.

I will try to make a contribution to the initiatives undertaken by dedicating full commitment to certain issues.

In my opinion the priority issues are those of European integration, the effective government of democratic societies, and the protection of the natural environment and of living creatures.

I am, on the other hand, entirely uninterested in ideological disputes and the endless arguments on the right and the left."