Liberal Democrats (Italy)

Liberal Democrats Liberaldemocratici
Italian National Party
Leader	Lamberto Dini
Founded	18 September, 2007
Coalition	The Union
Political ideology	Liberalism, Centrism
Website	http://www.liberaldem.it
See also	Politics of Italy Political parties in Italy Elections in Italy

The Liberal Democrats (Liberaldemocratici, LD) are a liberal-centrist Italian political party. Its leader is Senator Lamberto Dini, former Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Treasury.

History

The party was founded on 18 September 2007 as a split of the right-wing of Democracy is Freedom – Daisy (DL). Liberal Democrats broke with their party because of their skepticism about the formation of the Democratic Party, scheduled on 14 October. Te 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, but remained active as an internal faction within DL. Dini, who was minister of the Treasury in the Berlusconi I Cabinet and is now targeted by centre-right leading politicians to change coalition affiliation, has announced that the party, for now, remains part of The Union^[1] and that it will "support the Democratic Party from the outside"^[2]. The party will also continue to support Prodi II Cabinet, but it is possible that it will distance itself from the government on some issues, notably foreign policy and social security reform^[3]. One of the goals of Liberal Democrats is 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 accuse him of helping Berluscon's return in office^[4]. On 27 November Liberal Democrats formed a joint group in the Senate with Democratic Union, led by Willer Bordon (ex-PCI, ex-AD, ex-IdV and ex-Dem), Roberto Manzione (ex-PRI, ex-CCD, ex-UDR and ex-UDEUR)^[5]. Two more senators may join soon: Domenico Fisichella (a conservative who was previously member of National Alliance and had a short stint as Minister of Culture in Berlusconi I Cabinet, alongside with Dini)^[6] and Valerio Zanone (ex-leader of PLI). The convergence between the two small parties, which will retain their autonomy, is based on some key points (a plurality voting system, more powers for the prime minister, fiscal conservatism, tax cuts and social security reform) and is open to all the senators who want to join. Both Bordon and Manzione, as also Dini and D'Amico, have a long record of dissenting votes from the majority. The group is likely to have much influence in the Senate, where the centre-left has only a narrow majority of two votes and where Liberal Democrats will be the fourth force of the coalition, after the Democratic Party, the Communist Refoundation Party and Democratic Left. Moreover, both UDEUR Populars^[7] and Italy of Values^[8] may join forces with Dini to form an anti-Democratic Party centrist bloc. For now, for technical reasons, the two parties form separate groups in the Senate in order to have more speaking time, but the coordinate almost every position together and, in fact, forma a joint group. The group of the Liberal Democrats is named "Liberal Democratic Union" (Unione Liberaldemocratica).

Members

The party is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Italo Tanoni and in the government by Daniela Melchiorre, Undersecretary of Justice, but, above all, it has a three-strong group in the Senate, including Natale D'Amico (an ex-PLI who sometimes votes with the centre-right on foreign policy issues), Giuseppe Scalera and Dini himself.

Leadership

• President: Lamberto Dini (2007–...)
• Coordinator: Italo Tanoni (2007–...)

References

External links

• Official website
• Party manifesto

•  • e (complete version, historical parties)
The Union	Democratic Party – Communist Refoundation Party – Democratic Left Minor: Party of Italian Communists – Federation of the Greens – Italy of Values – Socialist Party – UDEUR Populars – Italian Radicals Micro: Liberal Democrats – Democratic Union – Critical Left – Italian Democratic Socialist Party – Citizens' Political Movement Regional: South Tyrolean People's Party – Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party – Valdotanian Renewal
House of Freedoms	Forza Italia – National Alliance – Union of Christian and Centre Democrats – Lega Nord Minor: The Right – Christian Democracy for the Autonomies – Movement for Autonomy – Pensioners' Party – Tricolour Flame – Social Action Micro: Italian Republican Party – Liberal Reformers – New Italian Socialist Party – Italians in the World Regional: Veneto for the EPP – Sardinian Reformers – Sardinian People's Party – Sardinian Democratic Union – New Sicily
Others	Micro: Italian Associations in South America – Socialist Party – Decide! Regional: Valdotanian Union – Edelweiss Aosta Valley – Autonomist Federation – Union for South Tyrol – The Libertarians – North-East Project – Sardinian Action Party Complete list
- List of political parties - Politics of Italy