Berlinguer, Enrico, 1922-84, Italian political leader. Born into a wealthy yet politically radical family, Berlinguer joined the Communist party in 1943 and eventually became its secretary-general (1972-84). He advocated a moderate form of Communism, was a leading advocate of the "Eurocommunist" movement of the mid-1970s, and proposed a "historic compromise": an alliance between the Roman Catholics and the Communists. In the 1976 parliamentary elections his party won 36% of the vote. He was instrumental in supporting the coalition government of Giulio Andreotti.

(born May 25, 1922, Sassari, Sardinia, Italy—died June 11, 1984, Padua) Italian politician. Born into a middle-class Sardinian family, he joined the Communist Party in 1943 and held a series of party posts before becoming secretary-general in 1972, a post he would keep until his death. He became a leading advocate of “national communism,” seeking independence from Moscow and favouring the adaptation of Marxism to local requirements. His proposal for a coalition government of Christian Democrats and communists was never realized.

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(born May 25, 1922, Sassari, Sardinia, Italy—died June 11, 1984, Padua) Italian politician. Born into a middle-class Sardinian family, he joined the Communist Party in 1943 and held a series of party posts before becoming secretary-general in 1972, a post he would keep until his death. He became a leading advocate of “national communism,” seeking independence from Moscow and favouring the adaptation of Marxism to local requirements. His proposal for a coalition government of Christian Democrats and communists was never realized.

Learn more about Berlinguer, Enrico with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Berlinguer is a surname, originally Catalan, pronounced [berliŋ'gwɛr] in Italian, and may be

• Enrico Berlinguer, Italian Communist Party leader
• Giovanni Berlinguer, Italian Democrats of the Left politician, son of Mario and brother of Enrico
• Giuliana Berlinguer, Italian film director
• Luigi Berlinguer, politician
• Mario Berlinguer (1891-1969), Italian lawyer and politician from Sardinia, father of Enrico and Giovanni