Word: scelba
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...Outside Help." Scelba's defeat was accomplished by his own party-chiefly by the right-wing "Concentration" of the Christian Democrats led by ex-Premier Giuseppe Pella. Pella (who would like to be Premier again) used an occasion provided by Party Secretary Amintore Fanfani (who would also like to be Premier). Fanfani laid down a "minimum" program of social welfare and public works, and demanded that Scelba get his coalition partners (Liberals, Saragat Socialists and Republicans) to accept it-or resign...
...wavering reed in the wind, but an attracting force for the country." In other words, the Concentration would accept Fanfani's program not because they approved it, but because they were sure the minor coalition parties would not. And this would mean the end of Scelba...
...Scelba's persistence almost fooled Pella & Co. The businessmen of the Liberal Party, whom Pella had counted on to balk at more land reform, accepted the program rather than bring on a crisis...
...when the tiny (five Deputies) Republican Party refused to support a new Scelba Cabinet, Pella's group demanded an emergency meeting of the Christian Democratic executive committee: the Scelba coalition had failed, they said...
...vain did Scelba's supporters argue that the Republicans' five votes were not essential to Scelba's majority. Shortly after 9 o'clock in the evening, Fanfani told Scelba formally that "with deep regret" the executive committee had decided not to support him. Next morning, smiling determinedly, Mario Scelba submitted his resignation to President Gronchi. His chief regret, said Scelba mildly, was that he had been overthrown not by parliamentary votes but by party maneuvering...