Page "Christian Democracy (Italy)" Paragraph 8

In 1978 the party was struck by the abduction and murder of Aldo Moro, who had proposed a Historic Compromise with the PCI, by the Red Brigades.

When Moro was abducted, the government, at the time led by Giulio Andreotti, immediately took a hardline position stating that the " State must not bend " on terrorist demands.

This was a very different position from the one kept in similar cases ( such as the kidnapping of Campanian DC member Ciro Cirillo a few years later, for whom a ransom was paid, thanks to the local ties of the party with camorra ) before.

It was however supported by all the mainstream parties, including the PCI, with the two notable exceptions of the PSI and the Radicals.

In the second trial for mafia allegations against Giulio Andreotti, leader of the right wing of the party, it was said that he took the chance of getting rid of a dangerous political competitor by sabotaging all of the rescue options and ultimately leaving the captors with no option but killing him.

During his captivity Moro wrote a series of letters, at times very critical of Andreotti.

Later the memorial written by Moro during his imprisonment was subject to several plots, including the assassination of journalist Mino Pecorelli and general Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, which involved Andreotti and some figures of his wing.