Arturo Michelini

Arturo Michelini (17 February 1909 – 15 June 1969) was an Italian politician and secretary of the Italian Social Movement (MSI). A minor party official during the days of Italian fascism and a war veteran, Michelini emerged as one of the two leading figures in the MSI during the 1950s and 1960s, representing the moderate tendency of the party against the nostalgic fascist tendency.

Early years Michelini was born in Florence. An accountant by profession, he was a lower to middle-ranking figure in the National Fascist Party, rising to become secretary of the party in Rome. Michelini, a pro-Franco veteran of the Spanish Civil War, He did not hold office in the Italian Social Republic.

Leadership of the MSI Michelini emerged as a leading figure in the neo-fascism strain of Italian politics that emerged immediately after the war and was a prominent figure in the foundation of the MSI.

Michelini's policies helped to push some of the more radical elements out of the party and into such fringe groups as Avanguardia Nazionale and Ordine Nuovo. In general he disliked the unconstitutional methods of such minor groups and was the dominant figure in the "realist" tendency within the party, supporting co-operation with NATO and moves to build a pan-right alliance with the Christian Democrats and Monarchists. Michelini however was a skilled negotiator and adept at the internal politics of the MSI and at the 8th party congress in June 1965 when the pro-fascist wing formed a majority for the first time under his leadership he was able to remain in position by virtue of concluding a private deal with their leader Almirante. In this respect he was able to retain the leadership of the MSI until his death in 1969, at which point Almirante took over.

Electoral history ElectionHouseConstituencyPartyVotesResult 1948 Chamber of Deputies Italy at-large MSI – Elected 1953 Chamber of Deputies Rome–Viterbo–Latina–Frosinone MSI 27,383 Elected 1958 Chamber of Deputies Rome–Viterbo–Latina–Frosinone MSI 40,499 Elected 1963 Chamber of Deputies Rome–Viterbo–Latina–Frosinone MSI 88,901 Elected 1968 Chamber of Deputies Rome–Viterbo–Latina–Frosinone MSI 77,832 Elected