| UDEUR Populars Popolari UDEUR |
|
|---|---|
 Italian National Party |
|
| Leader | Clemente Mastella |
| Founded | May 23, 1999 |
| Headquarters | Largo Arenula, 34 00186 Rome |
| Coalition | The Union |
| Political ideology | Christian democracy, Centrism, Conservatism |
| International affiliation | Christian Democrat International |
| European affiliation | European People's Party |
| European Parliament Group | European People's Party–European Democrats |
| Membership | unknown |
| Official newspaper | Il Campanile |
| Website | http://www.popolariudeur.it |
| See also | Politics of Italy |
The UDEUR Populars (Popolari UDEUR, UDEUR) is a small centrist political party in Italy, led by Clemente Mastella. The party is affiliated to the European People's Party and is part of the centre-left alliance The Union. It is strong in Southern Italy, and especially in Campania (where Mastella comes from), but it has almost an irrivelant electoral force in Northern Italy. The UDEUR part of the name refers to "Union of Democrats for Europe" (Unione Democratici per l'Europa), which was the party's name until November 2003. From November 2003 to November 2004, it was known as "Popular Alliance–UDEUR" (Alleanza Popolare–UDEUR).
History
UDEUR emerged in February 1999 after the break up of the Democratic Union for the Republic. This party was founded in June 1998, under the leadership of Francesco Cossiga, by the merger of the United Christian Democrats of Rocco Buttiglione, the Christian Democrats for the Republic (a splinter group from the Christian Democratic Centre) of Mastella, the Patto Segni of Mario Segni and splinters from Forza Italia, National Alliance and Lega Nord. In the 1999 European Parliament election the newly born party, at its debout, received the 1.6% of the vote (5.1% in Campania, 4.4% in Apulia and 7.1% in Sicily). In 2001 UDEUR joined Democracy is Freedom – Daisy, along with the Italian People's Party, The Democrats and Italian Renewal. The alliance scored 14.6% in the 2001 general election. When the new alliance became a single party, and Mastella decided not to join. In the 2004 European Parliamentary Election, it achieved 1.3% of the national vote, sufficient to elect a MEP, who sits in the EPP-ED Group. In the 2005 regional elections the party had its best result ever, having scored 10.3% in Campania, 11.1% in Basilicata and 8.7% in Calabria. Mastella decided to keep the party in the centre-left coalition although it was in conflict with the secularist policies of the new political alliance Rose in the Fist and despite the presence of hard left parties such as the Communist Refoundation Party. In fact the party remains in the political sphere of the centre even though its policies are not very compatible with the centre-left coalition. At the 2006 general election, UDEUR was part of The Union. It obtained 1.4% of the votes, electing 14 deputies (4 in The Olive Tree's list) and 3 senators. The Union won the election, and Mastella was appointed Minister of Justice in Romano Prodi's II government.
Leadership
- Secretary: Clemente Mastella (1999–...)
- Deputy Secretary: Nuccio Cusumano (1999–2005), Antonio Satta (2005–...), Marco Di Stefano (2007–...)
- Coordinator: Mauro Fabris (1999–2006)
- President: Irene Pivetti (1999–2002), Ida Dentamaro (2002–2004), Mino Martinazzoli (2004–2005), Lorenzo Acquarone (2005–2006), Federica Rossi Gasparrini (2007–...)
- Administrative Secretary: Tancredi Cimmino (1999–2006), Mauro Fabris (2006), Pier Paolo Sganga (2006–...)
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