Communist Party of Italy - New Concept of Party

New Concept of Party

Since its formation, the PCI strived to organize itself on some bases which were not a mere reproduction of the traditional parties’ bases. Then it took again some arguments that distinguished the battle within the PSI: it is necessary to form an environment fiercely hostile to bourgeois society and that is an anticipation of the future socialist society. The purpose of this is not Utopian, because already in this society, especially in production, some structures are born on future results.

In two articles of 1921, this concept was developed so deeply that they assert that the vanguard party is not a simple part of the proletarian class but already a structure beyond the classes, already fitted to the classless society and designed in accordance with its future duties. Revolution is not a problem of organizational shape, but of strength; revolution cannot be "done" (infantile and unrealistic goals) but led (praxis’ overthrow). From the organizational point of view, the party should abandon elective democracy, internal hierarchies, etc., and work "organically", that is like a biological organism, where the single parts or cells and different organs work together for the whole.

In the first years of the PCI, there was no official leader, but the accepted leader, first of the Faction and then of the party, was Amadeo Bordiga of the Left current. Leaders of the minority currents were Angelo Tasca (Right) and Antonio Gramsci (Center).