The
Democratic Party (
Partito Democratico, PD) is a
centre-leftThe centre-left , also known as left of center, is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties or organisations whose views stretch from the centre to the left on the left-right spectrum, excluding far left stances.- Ideological definition of the...
political party in Italy.
It was founded on 14 October 2007 as a merger of various left-wing and centrist parties which were part of the
The UnionThe Union was an Italian centre-left political party coalition led by Romano Prodi, the former prime minister of Italy and former president of the European Commission.-Parties:...
in the
2006 general electionIn the Italian general election, 2006 for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy held on April 9 and April 10, 2006 the incumbent prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the center-right House of Freedoms, was narrowly defeated by Romano Prodi, leader of the center-left The...
. Several parties merged into the Democratic Party, however its bulk was formed by the
Democrats of the LeftThe Democrats of the Left was a left-wing Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
and Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy.
The first leader of the party was
Walter VeltroniWalter Veltroni is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on February 17, 2009. He also served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was born in Rome...
, who was elected secretary in an
open primaryThe 2007 Democratic Party leadership election was held on 14 October 2007 in order to elect the first leader of the Democratic Party, the largest political party in Italy at the time. The election was conducted as an open primary, with all Italian citizens aged at least 16 and non-Italian legal...
. After leading the party to a number of electoral defeats, the latest being in the
2009 Sardinian regional electionThe Sardinian regional election of 2009 took place on 15-16 February 2009.Ugo Cappellacci, the centre-right candidate, defeated Renato Soru, the centre-left incumbent President, by a large margin and The People of Freedom was by far the largest party...
, Veltroni resigned as leader on 17 February 2009. The Constituent Assembly subsequently convened on 21 February 2009 and elected
Dario FranceschiniDario Franceschini is an Italian lawyer, writer, politician and current leader of the Democratic Party. He has been a prominent member of the Italian People's Party, of the Daisy and the first Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party...
as the new secretary.
The Olive Tree
In the early 1990s, following
TangentopoliTangentopoli was the name used to indicate the corruption-based system in politics that had its heyday in Italy in the 1980s and early 1990s until the Mani pulite investigation delivered it a deadly blow in 1992...
, the end of the so-called First Republic and the disbandment of the
Italian Communist PartyThe Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party...
, a process started which aimed to join the moderate left-wing forces of Italian politics into a single political entity. This process caused the entering of
Romano Prodiis an Italian politician and statesman. He served as President of the Council of Ministers of Italy twice, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008. He was also President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004.Prodi ran in 1996 as Olive Tree candidate, winning...
(formerly close to the left-wing of the Christian Democrats) into national politics and the creation of the The Olive Tree, a centre-left coalition including: the
Democratic Party of the LeftThe Democratic Party of the Left was a post-communist, democratic socialist political party in Italy.-History:...
, the
Italian People's PartyThe Italian People's Party was a christian-democratic political party in Italy-History:The party emerged as the successor to Christian Democracy in January 1994...
, the
Federation of the GreensThe Federation of the Greens is a green political party in Italy, which includes also a large eco-socialist faction. Since 2009 the party leader is Angelo Bonelli.-Early years:...
,
Italian RenewalThe Italian Renewal was a liberal-centrist political party in Italy.It was founded in 1996 by Lamberto Dini along with some former Liberals, Socialists, Christian Democrats, Republicans and Democratic Socialists...
, the
Italian SocialistsThe Italian Socialists were a social-democratic political party, active in Italy from 1994 to 1998.It was founded on 13 November 1994, immediately after the dissolution of the Italian Socialist Party, which had been plagued by corruption scandals exposed by the Mani pulite investigations...
, Democratic Union. The coalition, allied with the
Communist Refoundation PartyThe Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero....
, won the
1996 general electionAn early national general election was held in Italy on April 21, 1996 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic...
.
Later steps transformed the Democratic Party of the Left into the
Democrats of the LeftThe Democrats of the Left was a left-wing Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
, with the merging of other centre-left parties, in 1998 and centrists in the coalition to form Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy, in 2002. This was born by the merger of the Italian People's Party, The Democrats, launched by
Romano Prodiis an Italian politician and statesman. He served as President of the Council of Ministers of Italy twice, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008. He was also President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004.Prodi ran in 1996 as Olive Tree candidate, winning...
in 1999 with a centre-left platform, and
Italian RenewalThe Italian Renewal was a liberal-centrist political party in Italy.It was founded in 1996 by Lamberto Dini along with some former Liberals, Socialists, Christian Democrats, Republicans and Democratic Socialists...
. In the
2001 general electionA national general election was held in Italy on May 13, 2001 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. Leader of the House of Freedoms Silvio Berlusconi won the election, defeating Francesco Rutelli, former Mayor of Rome, and premieral candidate of the Olive Tree...
these three parties, alongside with UDEUR Populars, formed an electoral alliance under the leadership of
Francesco RutelliFrancesco Rutelli, MP is an Italian politician. He is a member of the Italian Senate, elected with the Democratic Party in 2008, and chairs the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic, the Parliamentary Committee overviewing the Intelligence community structure and activity...
, then Prime Ministerial candidate for The Olive Tree coalition, and then transformed it into a single centrist party, without the participation of UDEUR Populars.
In the summer of 2003, Romano Prodi suggested that the centre-left forces participate in the
2004 European Parliament electionElections to the European Parliament were held in Italy on 12 and June 13, 2004. Italy's highly fragmented party system made it hard to identify an overall trend, but the results were generally seen as a defeat for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and a victory for the centre-left...
with a common list. Whereas the UDEUR Populars and the far left parties refused the offer, four parties accepted it: the Democrats of the Left, Democracy is Freedom, the
Italian Democratic SocialistsThe Italian Democratic Socialists were a small social-democratic political party in Italy. Led by Enrico Boselli, the party was the direct continuation of the Italian Socialists, the legal successor of the historical Italian Socialist Party...
and the European Republicans Movement. They launched a joint-list named "United in the Olive Tree" which ran in the election, scoring 31.1% nationally. The project was later abandoned in 2005 by the Italian Democratic Socialists, which preferred to run in an alliance, the
Rose in the FistThe Rose in the Fist was a coalition of parties in Italy.The RnP was composed of the Italian Democratic Socialists , the Italian Radicals and some independent members gathered in the Association for the Rose in the Fist The Rose in the Fist (Rosa nel Pugno, RnP) was a coalition of parties in...
, with the
Italian RadicalsItalian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement Italian Radicals (Radicali Italiani) is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement Italian Radicals...
. In the
2006 general electionIn the Italian general election, 2006 for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy held on April 9 and April 10, 2006 the incumbent prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the center-right House of Freedoms, was narrowly defeated by Romano Prodi, leader of the center-left The...
, the Olive Tree list ran only for the Chamber of Deputies, obtaining 31.3%.
Road to the new party
The 2006 election result, together with the success of the 2005
centre-left primary electionThe mechanism of primary elections was used for the first time in Italy by Lega Nord in 1995, but was scarcely used until before the 2005 regional elections, for which the centre-left The Union coalition delegated its potential electors to select candidates for office as President of the Regions of...
, in which over four million voters formally endorsed Prodi as Prime Minister candidate, gave a push to the project of a unified centre-left party. Since then,
Francesco RutelliFrancesco Rutelli, MP is an Italian politician. He is a member of the Italian Senate, elected with the Democratic Party in 2008, and chairs the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic, the Parliamentary Committee overviewing the Intelligence community structure and activity...
and
Piero FassinoPietro Franco "Piero" Fassino is an Italian politician with the Democratic Party, formerly national secretary of the Democrats of the Left .-Biography:...
, party leaders of Democracy is Freedom and the Democrats of the Left, scheduled their party conventions for April 2007 in order to formally approve the merger.
On 19 April 2007 the Democrats of the Left held their last party congress, since approximately 75% of party members voted in support of the creation of the Democratic Party as soon as possible, while the left-wing minority, led by Minister
Fabio MussiFabio Mussi is an Italian politician, minister of university and research in the Prodi II Cabinet. A former member of Italian Communist Party and then Democrats of the Left, he is currently a leading member of the Democratic Left party, of which he was the founding leader.-Career:Born in Piombino,...
and opposed to the project, obtained circa 15% of the support within the party. A third motion, presented by
Gavino AngiusGavino Angius is an Italian politician.-Biography:Born at Sassari , after the degree in Political Sciences, he became a member of the Italian Communist Party , for which he was secretary of his city's section...
and supportive of the Democratic Party only within the
Party of European SocialistsThe Party of European Socialists is a European political party comprising thirty-two socialist, social democratic and labour parties from each European Union member state and Norway...
, obtained 10% of votes. During and following the Democrats of the Left national convention, both Mussi and Angius announced their intention not to join the Democratic Party and founded a new leftist party called
Democratic LeftDemocratic Left is a democratic socialist political party in Italy.It was founded on 5 May 2007 by splinters of the Democrats of the Left centred around Fabio Mussi and Gavino Angius, who opposed the merger of the DS into the Democratic Party...
more keen on uniting the far left under a united banner. This ultimately led Angius to abandon the new party in favour of the creation of a much moderate social-democratic party with the Italian Democratic Socialists, the Socialist Party.
On 22 May 2007 the list of members of the Organizing Committee of the Democratic Party was announced: it featured 45 politicians, mainly from the two major parties involved in the process, but also including external figures such as
Marco FolliniMarco Follini is an Italian centre-wing politician.Follini was born in Rome. He was National Secretary of the Democrats' Centre Union party until October 15 2005...
,
Ottaviano Del TurcoOttaviano Del Turco is an Italian politician. After a career in trade unionism in the Italian General Confederation of Labour Del Turco rose to the top of Bettino Craxi's Italian Socialist Party before it was swept away in the Tangentopoli scandals of 1992-94.Del Turco was the president of the...
,
Luciana SbarbatiLuciana Sbarbati is an Italian politician andMember of the European Parliamentfor Centralwith the Movimento Repubblicani Europei,Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and sits on...
,
Renato SoruRenato Soru is an Italian entrepreneur, the founder of the internet service company Tiscali, based in Cagliari. He was born in Sanluri, Sardinia....
,
Giuliano AmatoGiuliano Amato is an Italian politician. He was Prime Minister of Italy twice, first from 1992 to 1993 and then from 2000 to 2001. He was more recently Vice President of the Convention on the Future of Europe that drafted the new European Constitution and headed the Amato Group. He is commonly...
,
Gad LernerGad Lerner is an Italian journalist and writer.-Career:A member of the Jewish community, he began his news career in 1976, writing for the leftist daily Lotta Continua, belonging to the eponymous political entity, becoming its deputy director...
and Tullia Zevi. On 18 June the Committee met to decide the rules for the open election of the 2,400 members of the Constituting Assembly. Prodi announced each voter would have chosen between a number of lists, each of them associated with a candidate leader; the assembly would then have elected the first leader in a Founding Convention, scheduled on 14 October.
The parties which agreed to merge into the PD were eight:
- Democrats of the Left
The Democrats of the Left was a left-wing Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
(social-democraticSocial democracy is a political ideology of the political left and centre-left on the classic political spectrum. Social democracy emerged in the late 19th century from the socialist movement and continues to exert influence worldwide....
)
- Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (centrist
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting moderate policies which lie between different political extremes. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between left-wing...
).
- Southern Democratic Party
The Southern Democratic Party was a centrist Italian political party based in Calabria.The Southern Democratic Party was founded in 2006, as a split from the regional organisation of Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy. The PDM's leader was Agazio Loiero, President of Calabria Region since 2005...
(centristIn politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting moderate policies which lie between different political extremes. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between left-wing...
);
- Sardinia Project
The Sardinia Project was a progressive regionalist political party active in Sardinia, Italy.It was founded in 2003 and was led by Renato Soru, who was elected President of Sardinia at the head of a centre-left coalition in the 2004 regional election...
(progressiveProgressivism is a political and social term for ideologies and movements favoring or advocating changes or reform, usually in a statist or egalitarian direction for economic policies and liberal direction for social policies...
);
- European Republicans Movement (social-liberal
Social liberalism, a reformulation of 19th century liberalism, rests on the view that unrestrained capitalism is a hindrance to true freedom. Instead of the negative freedom of classical liberalism, social liberals offered positive freedom that would allow individuals to prosper with public...
);
- Democratic Republicans
Democratic Republicans was a tiny liberal Italian political party.It was founded in 2004 by splinters from the Italian Republican Party , who wanted to get rid of the alliance with the centre-right House of Freedoms parties. Its leader is Giuseppe Ossorio...
(social-liberalSocial liberalism, a reformulation of 19th century liberalism, rests on the view that unrestrained capitalism is a hindrance to true freedom. Instead of the negative freedom of classical liberalism, social liberals offered positive freedom that would allow individuals to prosper with public...
);
- Middle-of-the-Road Italy
Middle-of-the-Road Italy was an Italian centrist political grouping founded in 2006 by Marco Follini, Senate member and former leader of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats , and Riccardo Conti, member of the Chamber of Deputies...
(Christian-democraticChristian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social teaching, and it continues to be influential in Europe and Latin America, though in a number of countries...
);
- Reformist Alliance
The Reformist Alliance was an Italian political party founded by Ottaviano Del Turco in April 2007 as a split from the Italian Democratic Socialists over the SDI's decision not to become a part of the Democratic Party...
(social-democraticSocial democracy is a political ideology of the political left and centre-left on the classic political spectrum. Social democracy emerged in the late 19th century from the socialist movement and continues to exert influence worldwide....
).
Party foundation
All candidates interested in running for the Democratic Party leadership must have presented at least 2,000 valid signatures not later than 30 July 2007 and be associated with one of the parties and associations forming the PD.
On the 30 July deadline, a total of ten candidates officially registered their candidacy:
Walter VeltroniWalter Veltroni is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on February 17, 2009. He also served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was born in Rome...
,
Rosy BindiMaria Rosaria Bindi, best known as Rosy Bindi is an Italian politician, currently a member of the Democratic Party.-Career:...
,
Enrico LettaEnrico Letta is an Italian politician, and was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies in the 2006 General election for the Olive Tree coalition. He is currently shadow Minister of Welfare.Letta was born in Pisa...
, Furio Colombo,
Marco PannellaGiacinto Pannella, better known as Marco Pannella is an Italian politician.He is the historic leader of the Italian Radicals...
,
Antonio Di PietroAntonio Di Pietro is an Italian politician. He also was a Member of the European Parliament, and formerly Italian Senator, and Minister of Government Prodi...
, Mario Adinolfi, Pier Giorgio Gawronski, Jacopo Gavazzoli Schettini, Lucio Cangini and Amerigo Rutigliano. Of these, Pannella and Di Pietro were stopped because of their involvement in external parties, whereas Cangini and Rutigliano did not manage to present the necessary 2,000 valid signatures for the 9pm deadline, and Colombo's candidacy was instead made into hiatus in order to give him 48 additional hours to integrate the required documentation; Colombo later decided to retire his candidacy citing his impossibility to fit with all the requirements. All rejected candidates had the chance against the decision in 48 hours' time, with Pannella and Rutigliano being the only two candidates to appeal against it. Both were rejected on 3 August.
On 14 October 2007 Veltroni was elected leader with circa 75% of the national votes in an open primary attended by over three million voters. Veltroni was officially crowned as first Democratic Party secretary during the founding constituting assembly held in
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
on 28 October 2007.
On 21 November, the new logo was unveiled; it depicts the party acronym (PD) with colours reminiscent of the
Italian tricolour flagThe flag of Italy is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white and red, with the green at the hoist side...
(green, white and red) and featuring also the olive branch, historical symbol of the Olive Tree. In the words of Ermete Realacci, green represents the ecologist and social-liberal cultures, white is for the Catholic solidarity and red for the socialist and social-democratic traditions.
Walter Veltroni (2007–2009)
After the premature fall of
Prodi II CabinetThe Prodi II Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008.It was composed of 26 ministers, 10 deputy-ministers and 66 under-secretaries, for a total of 102 members.-Sources:*
...
in January 2008, the party decided run in the next election alone or at the head of a less diverse coalition. The party proposed to the
RadicalsItalian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement Italian Radicals (Radicali Italiani) is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement Italian Radicals...
and the Socialist Party to join its lists, but only the Radicals accepted, while forming an alliance with
Italy of ValuesItaly of Values is a centrist, populist and anti-corruption political party in Italy, headed by former Mani pulite magistrate Antonio Di Pietro. The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party ....
(IdV), under the promise that that party would have joined the PD after the election. The party included many notable candidates and new faces in its lists and
Walter VeltroniWalter Veltroni is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on February 17, 2009. He also served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was born in Rome...
, who tried to present the PD as the party of the renewal in contrast both with
Silvio Berlusconiis an Italian politician, entrepreneur, real estate and insurance tycoon, bank and media proprietor, sports team owner and songwriter. He is the longest-serving Prime Minister of the Italian Republic , a position he has held on three separate occasions: from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2006 and...
and the previous centre-left government, ran an intense and modern campaign, which led him to visit all
provinces of ItalyIn Italy, a province is an administrative division of intermediate level between municipality and region .||...
, but that was not enough.
In the
2008 general electionA snap general election was held in Italy on 13 April and 14 April 2008. The election came after President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved parliament on 6 February 2008 following the defeat of the government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi in a January 2008 Senate vote, and the unsuccessful tentative...
the PD–IdV coalition won 37.5% of the vote and was defeated by the centre-right coalition, composed of
The People of FreedomThe People of Freedom is a centre-right political party in Italy.The party was launched by Silvio Berlusconi on 18 November 2007 and officially founded in a party congress on 27–29 March 2009, when Forza Italia merged with National Alliance, Berlusconi was elected President of the party and Sandro...
, Lega Nord and the
Movement for AutonomyThe Movement for Autonomies is a minor christian-democratic and regionalist political party in Italy. It demands economic development and greater autonomy for Sicily, mainly, and for other regions of Southern Italy...
(46.8%). The PD was able to absorbe some votes from the parties of the far left (as also IdV did), but lost some voters to the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC), ending up with 33.2% of the vote, 217 deputies and 119 senators. After the election Veltroni, who was anyway gratified by the result, formed a
shadow cabinetA Shadow Cabinet of Italy had been announced on 15 April 2008, by Walter Veltroni, Secretary of the Democratic Party, after the 2008 Italian general election and officially presented on 9 May....
, including most party leading figures. IdV, excited by its 4.4% which made it the fourth largest party in Parliament, refused to join both the Democratic groups in Parliament and the shadow cabinet.
The early months after the elections were someway difficult for the PD and Veltroni himself, whose leadership was weakened by the growth of internal factions, because of the popularity of Berlusconi and the dramatic rise of IdV, which sometimes openly criticized the PD, in opinion polls. IdV became a strong competitor of the PD and the relations between the two parties became tense. In the run-up to the
regional electionA regional election took place on 14–15 December 2008 in Abruzzo, due to the early resignation of President Ottaviano Del Turco, after his indictment for alleged corruption...
in
AbruzzoAbruzzo Abruzzo Abruzzo (IPA: /aˈbruttso/ is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than 50 miles due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
, where IdV, whose leader
Antonio Di PietroAntonio Di Pietro is an Italian politician. He also was a Member of the European Parliament, and formerly Italian Senator, and Minister of Government Prodi...
comes from neighbouring
MoliseMolise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
, is expected to make gains, PD later agreed to support IdV candidate Carlo Costantini. In October 2008 Veltroni, who distanced from Di Pietro many times, declared that "on some issues he [Di Pietro] is distant from the democratic language of the centre-left".
On 25 October the Democratic Party held its first national rally at Circo Massimo,
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
, to protest against Silvio Berlusconi's cabinet policy. The organizing committee declared over 2.5 million people attended the rally.
In February 2009, after a crushing defeat in the
Sardinian regional electionThe Sardinian regional election of 2009 took place on 15-16 February 2009.Ugo Cappellacci, the centre-right candidate, defeated Renato Soru, the centre-left incumbent President, by a large margin and The People of Freedom was by far the largest party...
,
Walter VeltroniWalter Veltroni is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on February 17, 2009. He also served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was born in Rome...
resigned as party secretary and was replaced by his deputy
Dario FranceschiniDario Franceschini is an Italian lawyer, writer, politician and current leader of the Democratic Party. He has been a prominent member of the Italian People's Party, of the Daisy and the first Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party...
on an interim basis to guide the party to a new congress and the election of a new leader.
After a series of electoral defeats for the Democratic Party, Secretary
Walter VeltroniWalter Veltroni is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on February 17, 2009. He also served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was born in Rome...
resigned in February 2009. The Constituent Assembly of the party convened on 21 February 2009 to choose a new leader and appointed
Dario FranceschiniDario Franceschini is an Italian lawyer, writer, politician and current leader of the Democratic Party. He has been a prominent member of the Italian People's Party, of the Daisy and the first Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party...
Secretary with 1,047 votes out of 1,258. His only opponent
Arturo ParisiArturo Parisi is an Italian politician, leader of the Ulivist faction of the Democratic Party and four-time member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies...
won just 92 votes.
The
2009 European Parliament electionEuropean elections to elect 72 Italian MEPs were held on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2009, as decided by the Italian government on December 18, 2008...
was considered an important test for the Democratic Party. Prior to the confirmation of a new electoral law containing a threshold of 4%, the Democratic Party considered offering hospitality to the Socialist Party and the
GreensThe Federation of the Greens is a green political party in Italy, which includes also a large eco-socialist faction. Since 2009 the party leader is Angelo Bonelli.-Early years:...
in its lists, and proposed a similar pact to
Democratic LeftDemocratic Left is a democratic socialist political party in Italy.It was founded on 5 May 2007 by splinters of the Democrats of the Left centred around Fabio Mussi and Gavino Angius, who opposed the merger of the DS into the Democratic Party...
. However, the Socialists, the Greens and Democratic Left decided instead to contest the election together as
Left and FreedomLeft and Freedom is a left-wing coalition of political parties in Italy, formed in the run up to the 2009 European Parliament election in order to overcome the 4% threshold introduced by the new electoral law in February 2009....
, which failed to achieve the 4% threshold required to return any MEPs. The Democratic Party itself gained 26.1% of votes, returning 21 MEPs.
2009 leadership race
Following the European Parliament election it was confirmed that the party convention will be held in October and it will be followed by a primary election in compliance with the party constitution. By July three candidates announced their bid: Pierluigi Bersani,
Ignazio MarinoIgnazio Marino is an Italian surgeon, specialising in liver transplantation, and politician in the Democratic Party. He is a member of the Italian Senate, being first elected in 2006.-Early life:...
and
Dario FranceschiniDario Franceschini is an Italian lawyer, writer, politician and current leader of the Democratic Party. He has been a prominent member of the Italian People's Party, of the Daisy and the first Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party...
. During the summer party members voted in local conventions in order to elect the delegates for a national convention that will be held on 11 October. The primary election is scheduled on 25 October.
According to an opinion poll taken on 13 July 2009 by Crespi Ricerche, a 33.4% of Democratic voters will vote in the primary election. Under the same poll, Franceschini was backed by a 27.1% of respondents, Bersani by a 25.4%, Grillo by a 19.8% and Marino by a 15.2%; a 12.5% was undecided. Another poll by IPR Marketing, published on 11 August, put Bersani largely ahead with 54%, Franceschini distant second with 35% and Marino third with 11%. According to this poll a 56% of Democratic voters (that is to say 19% of the whole electorate) are likely or sure to go to the polls. A poll published by Crespi Ricerche on 10 September put Bersani and Franceschini neck and neck, respectively at 43.7% and 39.6%, with Marino distant third with 9.2% and 7.5% of voters who declared themselves as undecided.
On 8 October 2009 the party's electoral commission released the results of the vote among party members. In the local congresses a 56.4% of party members got out and vote. Bersani was by far the most voted candidate with 55.1% of the vote, largely ahead of Franceschini (37.0%) and Marino (7.9%).
Ideology
The Democratic Party is a
big tentIn politics, a big tent party or catch-all party is a political party seeking to attract people with diverse viewpoints. The party does not require adherence to some ideology as a criterion for membership.-Definition:...
centre-leftThe centre-left , also known as left of center, is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties or organisations whose views stretch from the centre to the left on the left-right spectrum, excluding far left stances.- Ideological definition of the...
party, strongly influenced by the ideas of
social democracySocial democracy is a political ideology of the political left and centre-left on the classic political spectrum. Social democracy emerged in the late 19th century from the socialist movement and continues to exert influence worldwide....
and the
Christian leftThe Christian left is a term originating in the United States, used to describe a spectrum of left-wing Christian political and social movements which largely embraces social justice....
. The common roots of the founding components of the party reside in the
Italian resistance movementThe Italian resistance movement was a partisan force during World War II.-Origins of the movement:After Italy's armistice on 8 September 1943, the Italian resistance movement became massive...
, the writing of Italian Constitution and the
Historic compromiseThe term Historic Compromise most commonly refers to the accommodation between the Italian Christian Democrats and the Italian Communist Party in the 1970s, after the latter embraced eurocommunism under Enrico Berlinguer...
, all three events which saw the Christian Democrats and the
Italian Communist PartyThe Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party...
(the two major forerunners of the
Democrats of the LeftThe Democrats of the Left was a left-wing Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
and Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy, respectively) cooperate. The
United States Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
and
American liberalismLiberalism in the United States is a broad political and philosophical mindset favoring individual liberty. According to Louis Hartz, it differs from liberalism in the rest of the world, because America never had a hereditary aristocracy and therefore never turned to socialism, as many European...
are also an important source of inspiration for the party.
The party stresses national and social cohesion,
green issuesGreen politics is a political ideology which places a high importance on environmental goals, and on achieving these goals through broad-based, grassroots, participatory democracy...
,
social progressivismSocial progressivism is the view that the basic concepts of social mores, human nature, and morality are not fixed throughout history and should be revised as new scientific knowledge becomes available. The term is most commonly associated with an international political movement on basis of this...
, progressive taxation and Europeanism. In this respect the party's precursors strongly supported the need of balancing budgets in order to comply to Maastricht criteria. Under the leadership of Veltroni, the party took a strong stance in favour of constitutional reform and of a new electoral law, on the road toward a
two-party systemA two-party system is a form of party system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections, at every level. As a result, all, or nearly all, elected offices end up being held by candidates endorsed by one of the two major parties...
.
International affiliation
The foundation of the Democratic Party was called into question by various cases of infighting among the prospective members of the new party. The discussion on which
European political partyA European political party, formally a political party at European level, informally a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe and in the institutions of the European Union. They are regulated and funded by the European Union and are usually made...
to join was divided between the former
Democrats of the LeftThe Democrats of the Left was a left-wing Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
being generally in favour of the
Party of European SocialistsThe Party of European Socialists is a European political party comprising thirty-two socialist, social democratic and labour parties from each European Union member state and Norway...
(PES) and most former members of Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy in favour of the
European Democratic PartyThe European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels...
.
After the Democratic Party's formation, the new party's MEPs continued to sit with the PES and
ALDEThe Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is the current liberal/centrist political group of the European Parliament...
groups to which their former parties had been elected during the
2004 European Parliament electionElections to the European Parliament were held in Italy on 12 and June 13, 2004. Italy's highly fragmented party system made it hard to identify an overall trend, but the results were generally seen as a defeat for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and a victory for the centre-left...
. Following the conclusion of the
2009 European Parliament electionEuropean elections to elect 72 Italian MEPs were held on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2009, as decided by the Italian government on December 18, 2008...
, the party chose to unite for the new term within a single European parliamentary group, formed by the Democratic Party and the PES, to be known as the
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and DemocratsThe Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats is the social-democratic political group of the European Parliament. It dates its ancestry via various names back to the beginning of the European Parliament in 1953. Until the 1999 European election it was the largest group in Parliament...
.
2007 primary election
Although not officially recognized, the Democratic Party has several internal factions, most of whom trace the previous allegiances of party members. These groups united themselves to form lists for the election of the Constituent Assembly of the party in October.
Three lists supported the candidacy of
Walter VeltroniWalter Veltroni is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on February 17, 2009. He also served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was born in Rome...
. The bulk of the former
Democrats of the LeftThe Democrats of the Left was a left-wing Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
(
VeltronianiVeltroniani refers to the faction around Walter Veltroni, leader of the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy, from 2007 to 2009. Most of them are social democrats coming from the Democrats of the Left....
,
DalemianiDalemiani refers to the faction around Massimo D'Alema, a leading member of the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy.Dalemiani are generally social democrats who want the party to join the Party of European Socialists...
,
Fassiniani), the
RutellianiRutelliani refers to the faction around Francesco Rutelli, a leading member of the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy.The followers of Rutelli are mainly centrists who want the party to be modelled on the Democratic Party of the United States and to join the Alliance of Liberals and...
of
Francesco RutelliFrancesco Rutelli, MP is an Italian politician. He is a member of the Italian Senate, elected with the Democratic Party in 2008, and chairs the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic, the Parliamentary Committee overviewing the Intelligence community structure and activity...
(including the
Theo-DemTheo-Dems are a christian-democratic faction with the Italian Democratic Party, which combines social-conservative views on ethical issues with a Christian leftist approach on economic issues....
),
The PopularsThe Populars is a loose association within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy.The Populars are the heirs of the Italian People's Party, a christian-democratic party of the Christian left, and of the left-wing of the late Christian Democracy...
of
Franco MariniFranco Marini is an Italian politician and a prominent member of the centre-left Democratic Party. From 2006 to 2008 he was President of the Italian Senate.-Biography:...
, those who are now known as
Liberal PDThe Liberal PD is a social-liberal faction within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy.It was launched on 26 January 2008 by Senator Enzo Bianco , former Minister Franco Bassanini , Senator Valerio Zanone and Senator Enrico Morando The Liberal PD (Liberal PD) is a social-liberal...
, the
Social ChristiansSocial Christians is a Christian social-democratic faction within the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy....
and smaller groups (including
Middle-of-the-Road ItalyMiddle-of-the-Road Italy was an Italian centrist political grouping founded in 2006 by Marco Follini, Senate member and former leader of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats , and Riccardo Conti, member of the Chamber of Deputies...
, European Republicans Movement,
Reformist AllianceThe Reformist Alliance was an Italian political party founded by Ottaviano Del Turco in April 2007 as a split from the Italian Democratic Socialists over the SDI's decision not to become a part of the Democratic Party...
and the
Reformists for EuropeThe Reformists for Europe were a small social-democratic group in Italy.They were formed in 1997 by splinters of Democratic Union...
) formed a joint-list named "Democrats with Veltroni". The
Democratic EcologistsThe Democratic Ecologists are a green faction within the Italian Democratic Party .Its leaders are Ermete Realacci and Fabrizio Vigni and its composed by both former members of the Democrats of the Left and Democracy is Freedom – Daisy The Democratic Ecologists (Ecologisti Democratici, EcoDem)...
of Ermete Realacci, together with the followers of
Giovanna Melandri-Education:Giovanna Melandri was born in New York, USA.She earned a diploma "cum laude" in economics and commerce at the Sapienza University of Rome....
and
Cesare DamianoCesare Damiano is an Italian politician, member of the Democrats of the Left party.A former leading member of the CGIL trade union, Damiano is part of the Democrats of the Left national secretarship since 2001 and responsible of the party Labour Department....
, formed the "Environment, Innovation and Labour", while the
Democrats, Laicists, SocialistsDemocrats, Laicists, Socialists is a social-democratic faction within the Italian Democratic Party.It was founded in April 2007 by those Democrats of the Left who supported the motion of Gavino Angius at the party last congress, but decided not to follow their leader in the Democratic Left and...
,
Say LeftSay Left is a democratic-socialist faction within the Italian Democratic Party. Its leader is Vincenzo Vita.It was founded in April 2007 by those Democrats of the Left who supported the motion of Fabio Mussi at the party last congress, but decided not to follow their leader in the Democratic Left...
and the
Labourites – Liberal SocialistsThe Labour Federation was a social-democratic party in Italy.It was founded in 1994 by former members of the Italian Socialist Party and was in close alliance with the Democratic Party of the Left , with which it merged in 1998 to form the Democrats of the Left...
presented a list named "
To the LeftTo the Left is a social-democratic and democratic-socialist faction within the Democratic Party, a centre-left political party in Italy....
".
The
UlivistsThe Ulivists are a faction within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy.The group includes both Christian left politicians, social democrats and social liberals. They has been close supporters of Romano Prodi and want the party to be stuck in the tradition of The Olive Tree...
, a group closely linked to
Romano Prodiis an Italian politician and statesman. He served as President of the Council of Ministers of Italy twice, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008. He was also President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004.Prodi ran in 1996 as Olive Tree candidate, winning...
, divided between those supporting
Rosy BindiMaria Rosaria Bindi, best known as Rosy Bindi is an Italian politician, currently a member of the Democratic Party.-Career:...
, as
Arturo ParisiArturo Parisi is an Italian politician, leader of the Ulivist faction of the Democratic Party and four-time member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies...
, and the supporters of
Enrico LettaEnrico Letta is an Italian politician, and was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies in the 2006 General election for the Olive Tree coalition. He is currently shadow Minister of Welfare.Letta was born in Pisa...
, as
Paolo De CastroPaolo De Castro is an Italian politician, and former Italian Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies. In 2009 he was elected to the European Parliament, and currently serves as chair of the parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.He has also served as professor of...
. Bindi received also the endorsement of Agazio Loiero and his
Southern Democratic PartyThe Southern Democratic Party was a centrist Italian political party based in Calabria.The Southern Democratic Party was founded in 2006, as a split from the regional organisation of Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy. The PDM's leader was Agazio Loiero, President of Calabria Region since 2005...
, while Letta the support of
Lorenzo DellaiLorenzo Dellai is an Italian politician, the governor of the province of Trento and the President of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.In 1990 he was elected for the first time as mayor of Trento, and re-elected in 1995....
and his
Daisy Civic ListThe Daisy Civic List was a regionalist Christian-democratic and centrist Italian political party active in Trentino.-History:...
,
Renato SoruRenato Soru is an Italian entrepreneur, the founder of the internet service company Tiscali, based in Cagliari. He was born in Sanluri, Sardinia....
and his
Sardinia ProjectThe Sardinia Project was a progressive regionalist political party active in Sardinia, Italy.It was founded in 2003 and was led by Renato Soru, who was elected President of Sardinia at the head of a centre-left coalition in the 2004 regional election...
, and Gianni Pittella.
Current situation
PD is composed of several factions, which form different alliances on different issues and whose members are sometimes also members of other factions:
- Veltroniani
Veltroniani refers to the faction around Walter Veltroni, leader of the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy, from 2007 to 2009. Most of them are social democrats coming from the Democrats of the Left....
: followers of Walter VeltroniWalter Veltroni is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on February 17, 2009. He also served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was born in Rome...
, basically social democrats coming from the Democrats of the LeftThe Democrats of the Left was a left-wing Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
.
- Populars
The Populars is a loose association within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy.The Populars are the heirs of the Italian People's Party, a christian-democratic party of the Christian left, and of the left-wing of the late Christian Democracy...
/Fourth PhaseFourth Phase is a faction within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy.The name of the faction was chosen to identify the new stage of left-wing Catholics in Italian politics, the first three being within the Italian People's Party , the Christian Democracy and the Italian People's...
: heirs of the Christian leftThe Christian left is a term originating in the United States, used to describe a spectrum of left-wing Christian political and social movements which largely embraces social justice....
tradition of the Italian People's Party and of the left-wing of the late Christian Democracy.
- Dalemiani
Dalemiani refers to the faction around Massimo D'Alema, a leading member of the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy.Dalemiani are generally social democrats who want the party to join the Party of European Socialists...
: the social-democratic group around Massimo D'AlemaMassimo D'Alema is an Italian politician. He is also a journalist and a former national secretary of the Democratic Party of the Left...
, who want the party to join the Party of European SocialistsThe Party of European Socialists is a European political party comprising thirty-two socialist, social democratic and labour parties from each European Union member state and Norway...
; D'Alema recently organized his faction as Reformists and DemocratsReformists and Democrats is a predominantly social-democratic faction within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy....
, welcoming also some Lettiani and some Populars.
- Rutelliani
Rutelliani refers to the faction around Francesco Rutelli, a leading member of the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy.The followers of Rutelli are mainly centrists who want the party to be modelled on the Democratic Party of the United States and to join the Alliance of Liberals and...
: centrists gathered around Francesco RutelliFrancesco Rutelli, MP is an Italian politician. He is a member of the Italian Senate, elected with the Democratic Party in 2008, and chairs the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic, the Parliamentary Committee overviewing the Intelligence community structure and activity...
, who want the party to be modelled on the Democratic Party of the United StatesThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
and to join the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for EuropeThe Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party...
and the Alliance of Democrats.
- Lettiani
Lettiani refers to the faction around Enrico Letta, a leading member of the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy.The followers of Letta are generally centrists proposing an alliance with the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats and a liberal approach to the economy...
: the centrist group around Enrico LettaEnrico Letta is an Italian politician, and was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies in the 2006 General election for the Olive Tree coalition. He is currently shadow Minister of Welfare.Letta was born in Pisa...
, who has a central position thanks to his good relations with Populars, Ulivists, Dalemiani and Veltroniani; Letta organized his faction within the 360 Association360 Association is a centrist faction within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy. It is led by Enrico Letta and that is why its members are often called Lettiani....
, whose main goal is to form an alliance with the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats.
- To the Left
To the Left is a social-democratic and democratic-socialist faction within the Democratic Party, a centre-left political party in Italy....
: the social-democratic and democratic-socialist internal left led by Livia TurcoLivia Turco is an Italian politician, member of the Democrats of the Left party.She already acted as minister without portfolio in the period 1996-2001, under governments of Romano Prodi, Massimo D'Alema and Giuliano Amato....
and formed with the merger of four different groups (Democrats, Laicists, SocialistsDemocrats, Laicists, Socialists is a social-democratic faction within the Italian Democratic Party.It was founded in April 2007 by those Democrats of the Left who supported the motion of Gavino Angius at the party last congress, but decided not to follow their leader in the Democratic Left and...
, Say LeftSay Left is a democratic-socialist faction within the Italian Democratic Party. Its leader is Vincenzo Vita.It was founded in April 2007 by those Democrats of the Left who supported the motion of Fabio Mussi at the party last congress, but decided not to follow their leader in the Democratic Left...
, Labourites – Liberal SocialistsThe Labour Federation was a social-democratic party in Italy.It was founded in 1994 by former members of the Italian Socialist Party and was in close alliance with the Democratic Party of the Left , with which it merged in 1998 to form the Democrats of the Left...
and Left for the CountryLeft for the Country is a democratic-socialist faction within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy....
(comprising also some communistCommunism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general. Karl Marx posited that communism would be the final stage in human...
splinters from the Party of Italian CommunistsThe Party of Italian Communists is a communist political party in Italy. Its long-time leader is Oliviero Diliberto.-Foundation and early years:...
); the group includes both people close to Veltroni and people linked to D'Alema.
- Liberal PD
The Liberal PD is a social-liberal faction within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy.It was launched on 26 January 2008 by Senator Enzo Bianco , former Minister Franco Bassanini , Senator Valerio Zanone and Senator Enrico Morando The Liberal PD (Liberal PD) is a social-liberal...
: the liberal faction of PD, composed mostly of social liberals and led by Valerio Zanone; many members are close to Rutelli, but also keen supporters of Veltroni.
- Democratic Ecologists
The Democratic Ecologists are a green faction within the Italian Democratic Party .Its leaders are Ermete Realacci and Fabrizio Vigni and its composed by both former members of the Democrats of the Left and Democracy is Freedom – Daisy The Democratic Ecologists (Ecologisti Democratici, EcoDem)...
: the green faction of PD led by Ermete Realacci; many members are close to Rutelli, but also keen supporters of Veltroni.
- Ulivists
The Ulivists are a faction within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy.The group includes both Christian left politicians, social democrats and social liberals. They has been close supporters of Romano Prodi and want the party to be stuck in the tradition of The Olive Tree...
: Followers of Romano Prodiis an Italian politician and statesman. He served as President of the Council of Ministers of Italy twice, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008. He was also President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004.Prodi ran in 1996 as Olive Tree candidate, winning...
who want the party to be more in the tradition of The Olive Tree; the group, which includes both Christian left exponents and social democrats is led by Arturo ParisiArturo Parisi is an Italian politician, leader of the Ulivist faction of the Democratic Party and four-time member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies...
.
- Democrats, Truly
Democrats, Truly is a faction within the Democratic Party , a political party in Italy.The group, whose leader is Rosy Bindi, includes basically Christian left politicians and social democrats...
: the group around Rosy BindiMaria Rosaria Bindi, best known as Rosy Bindi is an Italian politician, currently a member of the Democratic Party.-Career:...
, emerged by a split from the Ulivists, and composed mainly of the left-wing of the late Italian People's Party and social-democrats.
- Social Christians
Social Christians is a Christian social-democratic faction within the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy....
: a Christian social-democratic group, which was a founding component of the Democrats of the Left and who strongly support Veltroni.
- Theo-Dems/Persons and Networks: a tiny Christian-democratic group representing the right-wing of the party on ethical issues, albeit being progressive on economic issues; the group is very close to Rutelli and has recently enlarged to many Catholic Rutelliani, hence the new name and organization.
- Democracy and Socialism
Democracy and Socialism is a social-democratic political association in Italy. During the years it has been a faction within the Democrats of the Left, the Socialist Party and finally the Democratic Party, where it is now...
: a social-democratic group of splinters from the Italian Socialist Party led by Gavino AngiusGavino Angius is an Italian politician.-Biography:Born at Sassari , after the degree in Political Sciences, he became a member of the Italian Communist Party , for which he was secretary of his city's section...
.
Moreover also three small parties can be considered as associate parties of the PD and in fact their MPs are members of the Democratic caucuses in the Chamber and the Senate: the
Italian RadicalsItalian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement Italian Radicals (Radicali Italiani) is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement Italian Radicals...
, the
European Republicans Movement, and the
Moderates for PiedmontModerates for Piedmont is a regional centrist Italian political party active in Piedmont. Its leader is Giacomo Portas ....
.
Popular support
The electoral results of the Democratic Party in the
10 most populated Regions of ItalyThese are ranked lists of the regions of Italy. Population figures are from 2001.- Geography and Demographics :- By Gross Domestic Product PPS :-By population:-By area:- References :*...
are shown in the table below. As PD was founded in 2007, the electoral results from 1994 to 2006 refer to the combined result of the two main percursor parties, the
Democrats of the LeftThe Democrats of the Left was a left-wing Italian political party and part of the Olive Tree electoral coalition, which merged with a number of centrist and leftist groups to form the Democratic Party on 14 October 2007...
and Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (and its preursors, 1994–2001), or to the joint-list called The Olive Tree.
| |
1994 general |
1995 regional |
1996 general |
1999 European |
2000 regional |
2001 general |
2004 European |
2005 regional |
2006 general |
2008 general |
2009 European |
| Piedmont |
29.8 |
31.4 |
26.6 |
25.0 |
25.6 |
31.0 |
29.0 |
30.5 |
31.4 |
32.4 |
24.7 |
| Lombardy |
28.0 |
25.9 |
25.5 |
24.2 |
20.2 |
26.8 |
26.3 |
27.1 |
26.7 |
28.1 |
21.3 |
| Veneto |
33.3 |
31.5 |
25.1 |
23.8 |
26.0 |
25.6 |
26.7 |
28.9 |
26.7 |
26.5 |
20.3 |
| Emilia-Romagna |
51.4 |
52.3 |
47.5 |
43.7 |
43.9 |
44.3 |
43.0 |
48.1 |
44.8 |
45.7 |
38.6 |
| Tuscany |
49.4 |
47.2 |
44.8 |
41.0 |
44.1 |
44.3 |
41.6 |
48.8 |
43.3 |
46.8 |
38.7 |
| Lazio |
37.7 |
33.2 |
33.5 |
30.4 |
29.6 |
33.4 |
31.7 |
33.8 |
31.0 |
36.8 |
28.1 |
| Campania |
36.8 |
33.3 |
32.2 |
31.7 |
32.9 |
26.4 |
31.3 |
31.3 |
28.5 |
29.2 |
23.4 |
| Apulia |
42.1 |
35.7 |
31.0 |
30.8 |
29.4 |
29.0 |
26.3 |
28.9 |
29.1 |
30.1 |
21.7 |
| Calabria |
42.0 |
37.3 |
32.0 |
34.4 |
27.7 |
28.6 |
27.2 |
33.9 |
31.4 |
32.6 |
25.4 |
| Sicily |
30.7 |
26.4 (1996) |
26.7 |
31.6 |
22.4 (2001) |
24.2 |
28.6 |
34.8 (2006) |
25.3 |
25.4 |
21.9 |
| ITALY |
39.3 |
- |
32.2 |
31.9 |
- |
31.1 |
31.1 |
- |
31.3 |
33.2 |
26.1 |
Trivia
The term
Partito Democratico was first used in the
Regional CouncilThe Regional Council of Veneto is the regional parliament of Veneto.It was first elected in 1970, when the ordinary Regions were instituted, on the basis of the Constitution of Italy of 1948.-Composition:...
of
VenetoVeneto , is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 4.8 million, and its capital is Venice....
, where the Democrats of the Left and Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy form a joint parliamentary group called
L'Ulivo – Partito Democratico Veneto (The Olive Tree – Venetian Democratic Party).
Leadership
- Secretary: Walter Veltroni
Walter Veltroni is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on February 17, 2009. He also served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was born in Rome...
(2007–2009), Dario FranceschiniDario Franceschini is an Italian lawyer, writer, politician and current leader of the Democratic Party. He has been a prominent member of the Italian People's Party, of the Daisy and the first Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party...
(2009–...)
- Deputy-Secretary: Dario Franceschini
Dario Franceschini is an Italian lawyer, writer, politician and current leader of the Democratic Party. He has been a prominent member of the Italian People's Party, of the Daisy and the first Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party...
(2007–2009)
- Executive Coordinator: Goffredo Bettini (2007–...)
- Organizational Coordinator: Giuseppe Fioroni
Giuseppe Fioroni , often nicknamed Beppe, is an Italian politician, member of the Democratic Party and formerly the Italian Minister of Education in the Prodi II Cabinet from 2006 to 2008....
(2007–2009), Maurizio Migliavacca (2009–...)
- Treasurer: Mauro Agostini (2007–...)
- Spokesperson: Andrea Orlando (2008–...)
- President: Romano Prodi
is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as President of the Council of Ministers of Italy twice, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008. He was also President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004.Prodi ran in 1996 as Olive Tree candidate, winning...
(2007–2008)
- Party Leader in the Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a majority of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
: Antonello Soro (2007–...)
- Party Leader in the Senate
The Italian Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of Italy. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but it existed during the monarchy as Senato del Regno, , continuing from the Subalpine Parliament of Piedmont established on 8 May 1848.The Senate consists of 315 elected...
: Anna Finocchiaro (2007–...)
See also
- Historic Compromise
The term Historic Compromise most commonly refers to the accommodation between the Italian Christian Democrats and the Italian Communist Party in the 1970s, after the latter embraced eurocommunism under Enrico Berlinguer...
- The Olive Tree
External links