Letter: Fascism's dangerous precedents in Italy

Sir: Patricia Clough describes the results of the Italian elections as a 'step (on) the road to normality'. The party of Italian fascism has received some five million votes, to a large extent on the basis of the respectability conferred on it by an alliance with two 'anti-party' parties. Anyone acquainted with Italian history will be aware of horrible precedents for this.

As for the description of the Movimento Sociale Italiano's Gianfranco Fini as a 'personable, decent young leader' building a 'respectable, Gaullist-style, European right-wing party' - this is exactly the camouflage for intimidation and violence that fascism always seeks, and which is vital for its electoral strategy.

Yours sincerely,

DAVID SHONFIELD

London, NW10

31 March