«La nostra voce» and the Italian Communists of Tunisia

This study focuses on the analysis of the press of Italian communists in Tunisia, particularly the newspaper La nostra voce, published between 1944 and 1950. Despite significant historiographical work on Italian anti-fascists in Tunisia, key aspects remain unexplored. It is conventionally believed that the presence of Italians in the Tunisian Communist Party ended in 1944, as many Italo-Tunisian members emigrated to Italy to join Togliatti's "new party." This shift was partly due to French policies in the Protectorate aimed at dismantling Italian community privileges under the pretext of fascist collaboration. However, by the eve of Tunisian independence in 1956, Italians still numbered in the tens of thousands, with many opting for French citizenship rather than immediate emigration. Through La nostra voce, evidence of sustained communist activity under semi-clandestine conditions emerges, alongside insights into the fears of a community witnessing its declining status and privileges. The newspaper also reflects the Italian Communist Party’s influence and sheds light on the community's precarious position between French colonizers and Tunisian nationalists. The paper concludes that while Italian communists sought to defend their community's rights in Tunisia, they adopted a conciliatory stance toward the French, advocating for a tripartite Italo-Franco-Tunisian union.