The Democrats (Italy)

The Democrats I Democratici
Former Leaders	Romano Prodi, Arturo Parisi
Founded	February 27, 1999 (1999-02-27)
Dissolved	March 24, 2002 (2002-03-24)
Merged into	Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy
Ideology	Centrism, social liberalism, Christian democracy, social democracy and Christian left (minorities)
International affiliation	None
European affiliation	European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Parliament Group	European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
Politics of Italy Political parties Elections

The Democrats (Italian: I Democratici) is a former political party in Italy, launched by Romano Prodi in 1998. One of the party's main goals was the establishment of a bipolar political system. The name and symbol of the party is a direct reference to the U.S. Democratic Party.

History

Early groups of Ulivists were formed in 1995–1996, during the campaign for the 1996 general election, by close supporters of Romano Prodi who, as Prodi himself, were not members of any party of The Olive Tree. Ulivists organized "Clubs for Prodi" and the "Citizens for The Olive Tree" association. Although most Ulivists took part to the campaign only as activists and remained grassroots supporters during the Prodi II Cabinet, some were elected with the Italian People's Party–Democratic Union.

When Romano Prodi was ousted from his post of Prime Minister of Italy, he launched a new party with grassroots activists, disgruntled Populars, Democratic Union of Antonio Maccanico, the Movement for Democracy – The Net of Leoluca Orlando, Italy of Values of Antonio Di Pietro (who left the party in 2000 and re-established an independent Italy of Values) and the so-called Movement of Mayors of Francesco Rutelli and Massimo Cacciari.

Prodi led the party to a good result in the 1999 European Parliament election (7.7%). Some months later Prodi was nominated President of the European Commission and Arturo Parisi succeeded him as party leader. In early 2000 Parisi asked the Democrats of the Left to dissolve into a new "Democratic Party".

In 2000 The Democrats agreed with the Italian People's Party, Italian Renewal and UDEUR Populars to form a joint list for the 2001 general election. The list, which gained a considerable success (14.5%), was transformed into a party in early 2002 under the name of Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy.

The core of The Democrats, through the Ulivists' association, were an often dissenting member of that party and are now a minority faction within the Democratic Party.

Ideology

The ideology of the party ranged from the "social Catholicism" of Prodi and Parisi, to the social liberalism of Maccanico and Rutelli, to social democracy and populism. At the European level, The Democrats were affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.

The party was aimed at the formation of a "Democratic Party", in line with the tradition of The Olive Tree, a big tent party comprising all of the Italian centre-left political forces. The Democratic Party was eventually formed in October 2007.

Leadership

• President: Romano Prodi (1999), Arturo Parisi (1999–2002)

Official website

• Official website