I cattolici dal centrismo alla programmazione (1953-1969)

· Italian catholics from Centrism to Economic Planning (1953-1969) · This essay examines the economic policy debate within the Catholic world and the Christian Democrats in the period between the second and fourth legislatures. In the era of Centrism, the main debates concerned the reform of state shareholdings, the Vanoni Scheme, and the programs for the industrialization of the South. The most innovative instances, represented by Amintore Fanfani as secretary of the party, and Enrico Mattei, as the head of eni, spurred growing and variegated resistance. In the following period, economic policy benefted from the joint eforts by Fanfani, longtime Prime Minister, and by the new secretary Aldo Moro, who tried to create a growing consensus around a strategy of reforms, economic planning, and democratization of economic and social processes. Thus, the start of the fourth legislature saw the birth of the frst organic Center-Left governments and the National Commission for Economic Planning. However, it coincided with a turbulent economic phase: the growing divisions and divergent views contributed, together with a series of external factors, to weaken the dc’s ability to direct national economic policy