10 Facts About Altiero Spinelli

Altiero Spinelli was an Italian communist politician, political theorist and European federalist, referred to as one of the founding fathers of the European Union.

Altiero Spinelli had a leading role in the foundation of the European federalist movement, and had strong influence on the first few decades of post-World War II European integration.

Altiero Spinelli was born in Rome, and joined the Italian Communist Party at an early age to oppose the regime of Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party.

Altiero Spinelli played a significant role in advising the drafting of the Assembly's proposal for a European "Statute".

Altiero Spinelli decided to run in the first direct elections to the European Parliament in 1979.

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Altiero Spinelli did so as an independent candidate on the list of the Italian Communist Party, which by then had become a Eurocommunist party and was keen to have prominent independent figures to stand on its list of candidates.

Altiero Spinelli was elected and used the position to urge the first elected parliament to use its democratic legitimacy to propose a radical reform of the European Community, to transform it into a democratic European state.

Idea was that the European Parliament should act as a constituent assembly, although Altiero Spinelli was prepared to make compromises on the way to secure broad majorities behind the process.

Altiero Spinelli's project was buried by the governments of the member states.

Altiero Spinelli married Ursula Hirschmann, a German anti-fascist activist and fellow advocate of European federalism in 1945 and they had three daughters: Diana Spinelli, Barbara Spinelli and Sara Spinelli.