Movement for Democracy – The Net was an Italian

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...

 political party led by Leoluca Orlando

Leoluca Orlando

Leoluca Orlando , is an Italian politician, who was mayor of Palermo in 1985-1990 and 1993-2000. He is best known for his strong opposition to the Sicilian Mafia.-Biography:Orlando was born in Palermo...

.

Formed by Orlando on 24 January 1991 whilst mayor of Palermo the group sought to reinvigorate the moral traditions of Italian democracy

Democracy

Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

 and also took a strong anti-Mafia stance. Initially attached to Christian Democracy

Christian Democracy (Italy)

Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....

, it quickly broke with this party due to its relations to the Mafia. The party succeeded in gaining elected office in Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

, including holding on to the mayorship of Palermo

Palermo

Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...

 in 1993. It participated in the Alliance of Progressives

Alliance of Progressives

The Alliance of Progressives was a left-wing electoral coalition in Italy in 1994.It was composed of:*the Democratic Party of the Left ;*the Communist Refoundation Party ;...

, which included the Democratic Alliance

Democratic Alliance (Italy)

The Democratic Alliance was an Italian political party founded in 1993, with the intent of becoming the container of an alliance of centre-left forces. However, the project did not succeed, and it presented itself as a minor party, mainly composed of former Republicans and former Communists...

, 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:...

, the Communist Refoundation Party

Communist Refoundation Party

The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero....

, the Democratic Party of the Left

Democratic Party of the Left

The Democratic Party of the Left was a post-communist, democratic socialist political party in Italy.-History:...

, the Italian Socialist Party

Italian Socialist Party

The Italian Socialist Party was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy founded in Genoa in 1892.Once the dominant leftist party in Italy, it was eclipsed in status by the Italian Communist Party following World War II...

 and the Social Christians

Social Christians

Social Christians is a Christian social-democratic faction within the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy....

, that unsuccessfully contested the 1994 general election

Italian general election, 1994

An early national general election was held in Italy on March 27, 1994 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right alliance won handily the election for the Chamber and only narrowly lost that for the Senate....

 against the House of Freedoms

House of Freedoms

The House of Freedoms , was a major Italian centre-right political and electoral alliance led by Silvio Berlusconi. It was initially composed of several political parties:*Forza Italia *National Alliance...

 coalition of Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...

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The party changed its name to The Net for the Democratic Party (La Rete per il Partito Democratico) in 1996 before being absorbed by The Democrats of Romano Prodi

Romano Prodi

Romano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...

 in 1999. Well-known former members of La Rete include Claudio Fava

Claudio Fava

Giovanni Claudio Fava is an Italian politician .He is currently the Coordinator of the National Secretariat of Sinistra Ecologia Libertà .He was until 2009 Member of the European Parliament for the Italian Islands with the Democratic Left , part of the Socialist Group and is vice-chair of the...

.

External links

• Biography of Leoluca Orlando