Italy: Between Left & Right

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It was Fanfani's own Christian Democrats who took the worst drubbing of all. The party had no trouble remaining in first place with 11.7 million ballots, but on a percentage basis it sank to the lowest share of the total vote (about 38%) since World War II. Summed up Rome's II Messaggero: internal dissension and "incessant clamor had the effect of driving away voters. The party lost the frightened, the confused and the indecisive." II Messaggero's advice to stop squabbling went unheeded. Last week right-wing Christian Democrats, who opposed the apertura in the first place, seized the election results as a signal to demand that Fanfani step aside as Premier in the new government probably to be formed this month.