Pino Rauti - Return To The MSI

Return To The MSI

Rauti returned to the MSI in 1969 and was given a seat on the Central Committee by Giorgio Almirante. Rauti's move was condemned by Clemente Graziani, who continued to lead a rump Ordine Nuovo outside the MSI although the two men actually remained close associates. Meanwhile Rauti was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies in 1972.

Rauti's position within the MSI was strengthened in 1977 when the main moderate faction broke away to form a new party, National Democracy. This opened space for a new Evola-based movement to gain power within the party under Rauti and he placed his emphasis on youth by organising Camp Hobbit, a series of events for young party members that were noted for having a much more casual and fun-oriented vibe than previous party youth initiatives. The event was such a success that afterwards the MSI youth movement, the Fronte della Gioventù, threw their lot in with Rauti's faction. Meanwhile his influence continued to grow when he became a leading figure in the European Parliament during the 1980s.

In 1987 Rauti, by then deputy-secretary of the MSI, was one of two candidates seeking to succeed Giorgio Almirante as leader of the MSI, the other being Gianfranco Fini. Continuing to present a policy platform based on the ideas of Evola, Rauti also demonstrated elements of Nouvelle Droite thinking, having been converted to ethnopluralism and support for nationalism in the developing world. Fini however, presenting a more moderate platform, secured the leadership by taking 727 votes to Rauti's 608.