"The direction of European unity is more backward that forward," Giovanni Sartori, visiting professor of Government, told members of North House in an informal discussion yesterday.

Sartori explained that the European economic boom is over and that France and other nations are no longer willing to make sacrifices for the sake of unity. "DeGaulle's opposition to unity is insuperable--De Gaulle is everything," he said.

The defence of the Atlantic community is another question which threatens European unity, Sartori added. He stressed the necessity of France and Germany to agree on the proposed Multilateral Force if a defence system is to be maintained.

Since direct atomic armament of Germany is forbidden by the peace treaty, Sartori continued, the MLF is vital to Germany's full participation in the Atlantic partnership. "But," he asked, "is pleasing Germany worth the price of DeGaulle pulling out of NATO? Take away either Germany or France--really, nothing remains of European defense."

"From a military point of view, MLF doesn't make sense," Sartori said. "But it's difficult to see how Germany can be kept from an inferior status indefinitely."

Sartori, who is a professor at the University of Florence, went on th summarize Italy's foreign policy. "The general trend in Italy on these matters is just to drag along," he said. "I don't think that at his moment we have any foreign policy at all." Sartori attributed this to the impossibility of acheiving a concensus between the Italian left and right wings.

He predicted that a change in the situation may come if, as he expects, the Italian Communist vote helps elect Fanfani to replace Premier Segni who has just resigned.

In answer to a question, Sartori said that it is impossible to tell what will happen to France when DeGaulle dies. He commented, however, that "Everything is tied to DeGaulle. When he dies his kind of France may die with him."