Liberal Democrats (Italy)

Infobox_Italian_political_party
name_english = Liberal Democrats

leader =
leader1_title = President
leader1_name = Daniela Melchiorre
leader2_title = Coordinator
leader2_name = Italo Tanoni
leader3_title =
leader3_name =
leader4_title =
leader4_name =
foundation = 18 September 2007
dissolution =
headquarters = Via di Ripetta, 142
00186 Rome
newspaper = none
membership_year=
membership = "unknown"
ideology = Liberalism, Centrism
coalition = The People of Freedom
international = "none"
european = "none"
europarl = "currently no MEPs"
website = http://www.liberal-democratici.it
colorcode = blue

The Liberal Democrats ("Liberaldemocratici", LD) are a liberal-centrist Italian political party.

Its long-time leader was Senator Lamberto Dini, former Minister of the Treasury, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and currently Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.

History

The party was founded on 18 September 2007 as a split of the right-wing of Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL). Liberal Democrats broke with their party because of their scepticism about the formation of the Democratic Party, scheduled on 14 October. The new party is a sort of continuation of the late Italian Renewal party, from which many Liberal Democrats hail. Italian Renewal was dissolved as a party in 2002 to form Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy, but remained active as an internal faction within DL.

The party was joined by three senators (Natale D'Amico, Giuseppe Scalera and Dini himself), a deputy (Italo Tanoni), a Under-Secretary (Daniela Melchiorre) and two regional deputies (Rosario Monteleone in Liguria and Antonio Verini in Abruzzo). Dini was elected party president, Tanoni coordinator and Scalera leader in the Senate, where Liberal Democrats were able to form a component in the Mixed Group.

Dini, who was minister of the Treasury in the Berlusconi I Cabinet, announced that the party remained a "critical member" of The Union [http://www.repubblica.it/news/ired/ultimora/2006/rep_nazionale_n_2529880.html?ref=hpsbdx1] and that it will "support the Democratic Party from the outside" [ [http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/Politica/2007/09_Settembre/18/dini_partito_democratico.shtml Dini: «Non entro nel Partito democratico» - Corriere della Sera ] ] . The party also continued to support Prodi II Cabinet, but distenced itself from the government on some issues, notably foreign policy and social security reform [ [http://www.ilvelino.it/articolo.php?Id=413548 il VELINO | Leggi l'articolo ] ] . One of the goals of Liberal Democrats was that of challenging the "statist illusion which survives in DS and DL" and what they describe the hegemony of the far left over the centre-left and the government itself. Dini's move was heavily criticized by some far left exponents of the coalition, who accused him of helping Berluscon's return in office [ [http://www.aprileonline.info/4619/lo-strappo-di-dini-forse Aprileonline.info: La Banca di Zoellick alla prova dei fatti ] ] .

On 24 January 2008 the Liberal Democrats voted against Prodi's government in a vote of confidence, along with UDEUR Populars, Domenico Fisichella and the parties of the House of Freedoms, causing its fall. Willer Bordon's Democratic Union voted in favour, as also Natale D'Amico did, dissenting from his leader Lamberto Dini.

On 8 February the party joined the The People of Freedom (PdL) led by Berlusconi. [ [http://www.repubblica.it/news/ired/ultimora/politica/rep_politica_n_2895907.html La Repubblica.it » Politica » News ] ] This led to the exit from the party of D'Amico who joined the Democratic Party and Rosario Monteleone who joined the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats. [ [http://www.ilgiornale.it/a.pic1?ID=265655 «Noi, veri liberaldemocratici, seguiamo Dini» - Articolo - ilGiornale.it del 31-05-2008 ] ] In the following general election, four Liberal Democrats were elected in the lists of PdL: Dini to the Senate, Tanoni, Scalera and Melchiorre to the Chamber of Deputies.

On 30 May Dini, who was re-elected President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate, along with Scalera, decided to leave his party and to join directly to PdL, while Tanoni, Melchiorre and others decided to hold on and to organize the Liberal Democrats as an independent centrist party allied to PdL. [ [http://www.asca.it/moddettnews.php?idnews=759935&canale=ORA&articolo=DINI:%20LASCIO%20I%20LIBERALDEMOCRATICI%20ED%20ADERISCO%20AL%20PROGETTO%20PDL Dini: Lascio I Liberaldemocratici Ed Aderisco Al Progetto Pdl - Agenzia Di Stampa Asca ] ] [ [http://notizie.alice.it/notizie/politica/2008/05_maggio/30/pdl_dini_addio_ai_lib-dem_serve_semplificazione_quadro_-2-,14985980.html | | ALICE Notizie ] ] Melchiorre was elected president of the party some days later. [ [http://www.ilvelino.it/articolo.php?Id=564203 il VELINO Agenzia Stampa Quotidiana Nazionale | Leggi l'articolo ] ]

On 21 July the two remaining deputies of the party, Melchiorre and Tanoni, formed a joint-group within the Mixed Group in the Chamber along with Francesco Nucara of the Italian Republican Party. [ [http://www.camera.it/organiparlamentarism/239/260/10004/documentotesto.asp?Gruppo=472&GruppoMisto=&addTitle=MISTO Camera dei Deputati - XVI legislatura - Organi Parlamentari - MISTO ] ]

Leadership

*President: Lamberto Dini (2007–2008), Daniela Melchiorre (2008–...)
*Coordinator: Italo Tanoni (2007–...)

References

External links

* [http://www.liberal-democratici.it Official website]
* [http://www.liberal-democratici.it/fileadmin/user_upload/Documenti/Manifesto_Liberal_democratico_-_19.09.07.doc Party manifesto]