“A giant of politics”. «A man to the end the whole politician“. “A piece of our history”. The world of politics wakes up orphaned of a guide, of a highly refined intellectual lent to public affairs, of a single witness of the passage between the first and second republics. There is no politician or institutional man who no longer feels alone, without the Great Reasoner who never aimed to be Head of State because, as he confessed at the age of 90, “I like to chat”.
The first reaction is from Prime Minister Draghi: “Prime Minister between 1988 and 1989, Minister several times, protagonist of the Italian parliamentary and political life in the Christian Democratic left, until the end he was involved in local institutions, as Mayor of the municipality of Nusco. To the family – concludes the premier – the condolences of the whole government, “the head of the government said in a note.
Mattarella: “He lived a long political season as a protagonist”
For the President of the Republic, the news of Ciriaco De Mita’s death “is a cause of great sadness”. The Head of State entrusted the memory of the deceased politician to a long note: «De Mita lived a long political season as a protagonist. He did it with coherence, passion and intelligence, walking in the wake of that political Catholicism which found its most original matrices in Sturzian popularism and which he saw reproposed in the thought of Aldo Moro. His political commitment has always had the idea of possible democracy at its center. That to be built and lived in the progressive making of the history of our communities, of the concrete life of the people, of their hopes and their interests. From this vision of democracy as an inexhaustible process, the attention for the renewal and adaptation of our institutions was born, which, not surprisingly, was the target of the Red Brigades strategy which, killing Roberto Ruffilli, his close adviser, on the eve of the inauguration of his government , intended to strike precisely at De Mita’s reform plan. We must remember his relentless commitment to an intelligent and modernizing southernism. As well as intellectual vivacity, curiosity for new things, the ability to dialogue with everyone, strengthened by an authentically secular Christian inspiration. Attention to the new generations for a renewal of politics made up of courageous and concrete choices, also favoring, as secretary of his party, a profound change of the ruling class. No less important was, especially in his government action, his international vision and, in particular, the attention he had for what Gorbachev’s leadership was producing in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s. To his relatives I address, with intensity, the feeling of my personal condolences and that of the Republic ».
Letta: “Italian politics has changed”
With De Mita «I have many personal memories, he was a great leader, really passionate about politics. He made the history of Italian politics and made possible a Christian Democracy that attempted to open up to society and young people. He changed Italian politics ». Enrico Letta says it to Radio too. The secretary of the Democratic Party recalls among the young people to whom De Mita gave space “the current president Mattarella or Prodi”. And then Letta underlines «his openness to the PCI.
“I didn’t want to become Head of State”
At the age of 90, in an interview, he revealed: “In 1985, when it came to choosing Sandro Pertini’s successor, Alessandro Natta made me understand that the Communists could have supported my candidacy for the Quirinale.” But «you need a style that I, let’s face it, didn’t have. I like analysis, thought, I like to chat. A President of the Republic cannot chat ».
Gentiloni: “authentic politician”
«I remember Ciriaco De Mita. The qualities of a genuine political leader. The pride of the roots in his territory. The intellectual stature. And an extraordinary curiosity for opinions and stories different from one’s own ». So the European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni on twitter.
Tajani: “Great protagonist of politics”
«With Ciriaco De Mita a great protagonist of Italian politics disappears. Often I have not shared his choices and his ideas, but I have shared with him years in the European Parliament in the group of the European People’s Party where we had built a good human relationship. A prayer. Rest in peace”. Antonio Tajani, vice president of the European People’s Party, writes on Twitter.
Conte: it marked an era in Italian history
«One of the protagonists of Italian political life disappears today. The figure of Ciriaco De Mita also symbolically marked an era in Italian history and the evolution of republican institutions. His contribution to the political debate has always been full of acumen, critical spirit, passion. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and to those closest to him ». The president of the 5 Star Movement Giuseppe Conte says so.
Franceschini: “A great of the Republic”
“A Great of the Republic left us. A unique intelligence, a charismatic leader, a master of politics for entire generations, young until the last day. Today a huge pain for all of us who loved him ». Thus the Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini.
Leoluca Orlando: “One of the last great leaders of the DC”
«Ciriaco De Mita was one of the last great leaders of the Christian Democrats. In difficult years for the country and for the party, he promoted a renewal opposed by many. A renewal that led to the birth of a new ruling class that refused and denounced the links with the powers of the underworld. I remember his great political passion and the continuity of his commitment to the service of the communities. In this moment of great suffering I express my closeness to the family “. Thus the mayor of Palermo Leoluca Orlando”.
The personal doctor
“He was a family person. It is a great pain for Italy, for Campania and above all for Irpinia to have lost a light source, the beacon of Irpinia politics, which has always been close to all our realities ». Thus the personal doctor of Ciriaco De Mita, the cardiologist Giuseppe Rosato, remembers the former secretary of the DC. “De Mita was a great Christian Democrat – adds Rosato -, he had roles of responsibility and not only gave light and refreshment to the population but above all he had great political consideration in the world“. «What impresses me most about him – concludes Dr. Rosato – is his love for the land. He dies a great Christian Democrat, a great politician ».
Follini: “The DC as we wanted it to be”
“#DeMita. The DC as it could have been and how we wanted it to be ». Marco Follini writes it on twitter.
Pomicino: “She was looking for all possible understandings”
“I thought his determination made him overcome even these ailments. We lower the flag, we remember him and we honor him as he deserves ». Thus Paolo Cirino Pomicino at «Vg21 Mattina» on Canale 21, remembers the former prime minister and former secretary of the Christian Democrats Ciriaco De Mita, who passed away this morning at the age of 94. «In his idea of politics, one thing was the divisions between parties on some issues, even important ones, but another was the search for all possible understandings to pursue a political battle. In this sense, despite having an angular character, he possessed such a dimension as to become the longest-serving secretary in the history of the DC. As leader – explains Pomicino – he managed the loss of six points in the 1983 elections, he built the alliance that after national solidarity became the backbone of the country’s government. In this, despite having triple the votes, he had the all-political ability to sense that the center-left alliance had to be strengthened, offering Bettino Craxi the presidency of the council. On that occasion the alternation between DC and PSI at the head of the government was born and, although their relations were not the best, this has never affected the policy of that alliance “. According to Pomicino, “the most evident proof was in 1984 on the escalator: to cool inflation the government modified it, there was a hard clash with the PCI but De Mita did not hesitate in the least to move the party to the government, so much so that he went in the referendum and won among the workers and in civil society ».
De Luca, “represented the needs of the South with tenacity”
«One of the leading exponents of democratic Catholicism in our country disappears with Ciriaco De Mita. He was the politician who represented the needs of Southern Italy and its land with greater coherence and tenacity. One of the rare political exponents who has always tried to always link political action to a long-term path disappears. We express our condolences to the family ». Thus in a post on social media the president of the Campania Region, Vincenzo De Luca, on the disappearance of Ciriaco De Mita.
Wolves, a man “totus politicus to the end”
«Ciriaco De Mita was a totus politicus man, up to the end, of great intellectual level. We discussed animatedly with him, until the fight, but she had the stature to recognize the interlocutors who thought differently from him. It was he who insisted in 1987 to invite Don Luigi Giussani to the programmatic assembly of the Christian Democrats of Assago, overcoming some ecclesiastical opposition. On that occasion Giussani said that politics is the highest form of culture, a definition that I believe can now be used to describe the basic attitude with which De Mita has made his contribution to the public life of our country “. This was declared by Maurizio Lupi, president of Noi con Italia.
De Mita: Boschi (IV), we lose the man, his sign remains
«With the death of Ciriaco De Mita, he leaves us a statesman, an intellectual, a politician capable of analyzing today and looking to the future. A man who has made an important mark in Italian politics, with his history and passion for institutions. To his family I express the condolences of the whole parliamentary group of Italia Viva ». This was stated by Maria Elena Boschi, group leader IV in the Chamber.