Democracy and Socialism
Encyclopedia
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. Its leader is Gavino Angius
.
(DS) by Gavino Angius
and Giuseppe Caldarola in opposition to the creation of the Democratic Party
(PD), which they believed would have been a rejection of the principles of social democracy
and democratic socialism
. Angius and his group wanted to remain members of the Party of European Socialists
, as they had been since its foundation in 1992.
After the DS decided to merge into the PD in April 2007, some members (Mauro Zani
, Massimo Brutti, Sergio Gentili, Giuseppe Caldarola and others) joined it, while Gavino Angius, Alberto Nigra, Franco Grillini
and others (comprising two senators and two deputies) formed, alongside with other splinter groups of the DS, the Democratic Left
(SD).
Soon Angius and his followers felt that the new party, led by Fabio Mussi
, was moving too far to the left toward a close alliance with the Communist Refoundation Party
, the Party of Italian Communists
and the Federation of the Greens
instead of forming an alliance with the much more moderate Italian Democratic Socialists
.
In September 2007 the group around Angius finally broke apart from SD and joined the Italian Democratic Socialists, the Socialist Party
of Gianni De Michelis
, The Italian Socialists, the Association for the Rose in the Fist
, Socialism is Freedom, and other groups and associations to form a the Socialist Party (PS). Since then, it took the current name and was joined by Valdo Spini
, another SD dissident. In 2007–2008 the group had two senators (Gavino Angius and Accursio Montalbano) and three deputies (Valdo Spini, Franco Grillini and Fabio Baratella).
After the huge defeat of the PS in the 2008 general election
, the group around Angius supported the candidacy for party secretary of Riccardo Nencini
, who won. In September 2008, Angius declared that "the Socialist constituent assembly has failed" and that the party should take part with the Democratic Party and possibly into it to the construction of a "new reformist centre-left", in line with what Nencini himself is proposing. However, in October 2008 Angius and his group abandoned the PS in order to join the Democratic Party, proposing that the whole party should follow him. Angius was joined also by Cinzia Dato, a former Liberal
from Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL), while Spini decided not to leave the PS.
In the 2009 Democratic Party leadership election
the faction supported Pier Luigi Bersani
.
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
political association in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. During the years it has been a faction within the Democrats of the Left
Democrats of the Left
The Democrats of the Left was a social-democratic 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...
, the Socialist Party and finally the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
, where it is now. Its leader is Gavino Angius
Gavino Angius
Gavino 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...
.
History
Originally named Socialists and Europeans (Socialisti ed Europei), the group was formed in 2006 as a faction within the Democrats of the LeftDemocrats of the Left
The Democrats of the Left was a social-democratic 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...
(DS) by Gavino Angius
Gavino Angius
Gavino 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 Giuseppe Caldarola in opposition to the creation of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
(PD), which they believed would have been a rejection of the principles of social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
and democratic socialism
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
. Angius and his group wanted to remain members of the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
, as they had been since its foundation in 1992.
After the DS decided to merge into the PD in April 2007, some members (Mauro Zani
Mauro Zani
Mauro Zani is an Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the North-East with the Democrats of the Left , part of the Socialist Group, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Development....
, Massimo Brutti, Sergio Gentili, Giuseppe Caldarola and others) joined it, while Gavino Angius, Alberto Nigra, Franco Grillini
Franco Grillini
Franco Grillini is an Italian politician and Italy's most prominent gay rights activist.-Career:He was born in Pianoro, Province of Bologna. During the 1970s, he took part in student political movements. He attended the University of Bologna, graduating in 1979 with a degree in education, and...
and others (comprising two senators and two deputies) formed, alongside with other splinter groups of the DS, the Democratic Left
Democratic Left (Italy)
Democratic Left was 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...
(SD).
Soon Angius and his followers felt that the new party, led by Fabio Mussi
Fabio Mussi
Fabio Mussi is an Italian politician, formerly Minister of University and Research in the Prodi II Cabinet. A former member of Italian Communist Party and then Democrats of the Left, he became a lead founding member of the Democratic Left...
, was moving too far to the left toward a close alliance with the Communist Refoundation Party
Communist Refoundation Party
The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero....
, the Party of Italian Communists
Party of Italian Communists
The Party of Italian Communists is a communist political party in Italy. Its long-time leader is Oliviero Diliberto.-Foundation and early years:...
and the Federation of the Greens
Federation of the Greens
The 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:...
instead of forming an alliance with the much more moderate Italian Democratic Socialists
Italian Democratic Socialists
The 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...
.
In September 2007 the group around Angius finally broke apart from SD and joined the Italian Democratic Socialists, the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Italy, 2007–2008)
The Socialist Party was a tiny social-democratic Italian political party. Its leader was Gianni De Michelis.-History:...
of Gianni De Michelis
Gianni De Michelis
Giovanni De Michelis is an Italian politician.-Biography:De Michelis was born in Venice.His political experience started with the Italian Socialist Party, where he was elected to the municipal council of Venice. He got elected for the first time to the Italian Parliament in 1976 and was elected...
, The Italian Socialists, the Association for the Rose in the Fist
Association for the Rose in the Fist
The Association for the Rose in the Fist was a social-democratic association in Italy.It was the so-called "third component" of the Rose in the Fist , composed mainly of the Italian Democratic Socialists and the Italian Radicals...
, Socialism is Freedom, and other groups and associations to form a the Socialist Party (PS). Since then, it took the current name and was joined by Valdo Spini
Valdo Spini
Valdo Spini is an Italian politician and writer.A long-time member of the Italian Socialist Party , in 1994 he founded the Labour Federation , of which he was leader until FL merged into the Democrats of the Left . Since then, he was a leading member of the Socialist faction within DS. .Elected MP...
, another SD dissident. In 2007–2008 the group had two senators (Gavino Angius and Accursio Montalbano) and three deputies (Valdo Spini, Franco Grillini and Fabio Baratella).
After the huge defeat of the PS in the 2008 general election
Italian general election, 2008
A 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 group around Angius supported the candidacy for party secretary of Riccardo Nencini
Riccardo Nencini
Riccardo Nencini is an Italian politician.Nencini was born at Barberino di Mugello, in the province of Florence. He is the son of Gastone Nencini, a famous cyclist...
, who won. In September 2008, Angius declared that "the Socialist constituent assembly has failed" and that the party should take part with the Democratic Party and possibly into it to the construction of a "new reformist centre-left", in line with what Nencini himself is proposing. However, in October 2008 Angius and his group abandoned the PS in order to join the Democratic Party, proposing that the whole party should follow him. Angius was joined also by Cinzia Dato, a former Liberal
Italian Liberal Party
The Italian Liberal Party was a liberal political party in Italy.-Origins:The origins of liberalism in Italy came from the so-called "Historical Right", a parliamentary group formed by Camillo Benso di Cavour in the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia following the 1848 revolution...
from Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL), while Spini decided not to leave the PS.
In the 2009 Democratic Party leadership election
Democratic Party (Italy) leadership election, 2009
The 2009 Democratic Party leadership election was held in July–November 2009 following the resignation of Walter Veltroni in February 2009, after 16 months as secretary of the Democratic Party , the second-largest political party in Italy....
the faction supported Pier Luigi Bersani
Pier Luigi Bersani
Pier Luigi Bersani is an Italian politician and the current Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy, the main center-left political party in Italy . He was Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship from 1996 to 1999, Minister of Transports from 1999 to 2001, and Minister of Economic...
.