The Italian Press on Romania’s Solidarity with Czechoslovakia in 1968

Abstract

The paper analyzes the discussions present in the Italian press, following Romania’s solidarity with the Czechoslovak cause, in the context created by the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact members, as a reaction to the Prague Spring. Nicolae Ceaușescu’s gesture signified the peak of his popularity abroad, being bypassed only by the Yugoslav leader, Josip Broz Tito. Still, different opinions with regard to this stance can be found in the 1968 press. While some saw in Ceaușescu an example of communist reformer, others believed that Romania’s support was also a political affair and an opportunistic gesture. These type of discussions can be found in L’Unità,Avanti!, Il Popolo, La Stampa and Corriere della Sera, the five Italian newspapers studied by this paper.