By Emma Bonino

The fragmented political scene in Italy is often not easy for Italians to interpret, let alone foreigners. In the few weeks since the project for a "liberal revolution" outlined in the referenda presented by the Radical Party triggered a heated political and social debate, many foreign friends have admitted they are confused by the whole affair.

How is it possible that the Radicals, famous above all for their defense of civil rights, have suddenly converted to free-market economics? How can we reconcile the "left-wing" battles of the past with this attack on some of the untouchable cornerstones of the welfare state, an attack that has been defined as "right-wing" by some?

The philosophy of Radical politics is based on the individual and the rights and duties of the individual. We place the interests of the citizen above the interests of the state, to the extent of protecting the citizen against the invasive paternalism of the state. Our main battles - the rightto divorce, the legalisation of abortion, the right to be a conscientious objector, the defense of the environment, the legalization and regulation of the use of drugs, and against third-world famine - have always found support across the political spectrum.

The genetic make-up of the Radical Party contains elements that draw on political traditions in Italian history, such as the moral rigor of the political right that existed just after unification, as well as the reformist thrust of the Italian "liberal left," which detested statism, monopolies, protectionism and state-funded privilege.

Why do we turn so frequently to the instrument of popular referenda? Not, as some people claim, because we prefer "direct" democracy to parliamentary democracy, or because we like to abrogate laws before rewriting them.

More simply, because for over 20 years any bold political initiatives, as well as any effort to spur economic and social progress in Italy, have been blocked by a pact of peaceful coexistence between the two great political "churches": the former Christian Democratic Party (now represented by Forza Italia and Silvio Berlusconi) and the former Communist Party (now represented by the Democratic Left and Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema).

The referendum instrument, as laid out in the Constitution, has proved the only one capable (used only occassionally and on specific issues) of breaking down the lethargy of Italian politics.

This lethargy, a result of conservatism and of the defense of existing interests and power balances, explains why Italy has been left so far behind the other industrialized nations on all fronts: economic growth, unemployment, investment, technological innovation, social services, infrastructures, the judicial system, and so on.

In a normal country, parliament would have set about the task of modernization long ago. But not the Italian Parliament, dominated by the pact of non-belligerence between left and right and paralyzed by the inextricable web of interests woven by the over 35 parties who manage to have deputies elected as a result of a hybrid electoral system. Not one of the reforms universally acknowledged to be indispensable to modernizing the country has yet been approved by Parliament.

We Radicals decided to put this package of reforms directly to the Italian people (without waiting any longer for Parliament or for the political parties) when we realized that the liberal revolution we care so much about could no longer wait. This is why last summer we set about collecting 16 million signatures in support of our referenda.

Months later, the establishment (the parties, the unions, industrialists and the media) has finally been forced to take notice, with evident concern, of the great stir triggered by the Radical initiative.

Every cloud, however, has a silver lining. For the delay with which the establishment reacted now thwarts any remaining hopes of "defusing" the referenda. It is once again up to the voters to make up for the impotence of the Italian system.

Ms. Bonino, a former European Commissioner for Human Rights, is the head of the Bonino List political party, and is a former leader of the Radical Party.