Italy: Whither E.N.I.?

The death of Italian Oil Czar Enrico Mattei left the Italian government with the choice of dismembering the state-owned E.N.I. oil and gas monopoly that he ran as a personal fief, or choosing a tough successor to carry on Mattei's expansionary and controversial policies. Premier Amintore Fanfani last week did neither. To succeed Mattei as head of the "state within the state'' Fanfani selected E.N.I.'s scholarly vice president. Professor Marcello Boldrini, a mere 72, and Mattel's lifelong loyal friend.

Boldrini predictably vowed to continue Mattei's policies, which involved buying huge shipments of oil from the Russians, offering cut-rate competition for private...

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