Liberal-Popular Union
Encyclopedia
The Liberal-Popular Union (Unione Liberal-Popolare) was a short-lived Christian-democratic
faction within Forza Italia
.
It was founded on 27 October 2007 by Ferdinando Adornato
(ex-PCI
, ex-AD
). Since the foundation of Forza Italia in 1994, it was the first time that supporters of Christian democracy, which is by far the largest ideological tendency within the party, set up a nationally-organized faction. That was the result of the growing influence of liberals
(some of them gathered in Popular Liberalism
) and social democrats
(organized in four groups: We Blue Reformers
, Young Italy, Free Foundation
and the Circles of Reformist Initiative) in party ranks over Christian democrats, who constitute an overwhelmingly although not organized majority.
The faction, composed of both former Christian Democrats
(Roberto Formigoni
, Giuseppe Pisanu
, Enrico La Loggia, Giuseppe Gargani
, Angelo Sanza, Raffaele Fitto
) and former Liberals
(Isabella Bertolini, Antonio Tajani
), was very keen on the formation of a new of a Freedom Party uniting the three main parties of the centre-right
: Forza Italia, National Alliance
(AN) and the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC). In their perspective, this party should be the synthesis of Christian democrats and liberals, and they consider themselves as an embryo of this project.
The "Manifesto for a Good Politics" (Manifesto per una buona politica) was signed by most Christian democrats of Forza Italia, including Claudio Azzolini, Maria Burani, Cesare Campa
, Giuseppe Cossiga
, Maurizio Lupi, Adriano Paroli, Roberto Rosso and Gustavo Selva, and also by Maurizio Sacconi
, a former Socialist
.
Adornato proposed also another "Liberals and Populars Manifesto" (Manifesto Liberali e Popolari), which was signed by Alfredo Biondi
(leading liberal and member of Popular Liberalism), Mario Pescante
(ex-PRI
) Gennaro Malgieri (AN), Sandro Fontana (UDC), Ortensio Zecchino (UDC) and Renzo Foa (editorialist of Il Giornale
), and transformed his "Liberal Circles" in "Liberals and Populars Circles". At the head of these there is a President (Adornato himself), a Coordinator (Angelo Sanza) and a Board (composed of the people who signed the Manifesto).
When Berlusconi decided to launch the People of Freedom party on 18 November, both Adornato and Sanza suddenly refused to join it because they felt it was too personality-driven. On 1 February 2008 they finally switched to the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats. After this move, the faction was disbanded, as most of the members decided to follow Berlusconi's line. It seems that the idea of a united Christian-democratic faction within Forza Italia has failed again and that the group around Formigoni, Network Italy
, might take this role.
Adornato later transformed its circles in a faction within UDC, the Liberals and Christians
.
Christian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
faction within Forza Italia
Forza Italia
Forza Italia was a liberal-conservative, Christian democratic, and liberal political party in Italy, with a large social democratic minority, that was led by Silvio Berlusconi, four times Prime Minister of Italy....
.
It was founded on 27 October 2007 by Ferdinando Adornato
Ferdinando Adornato
Ferdinando Adornato is an Italian politician. He is a member of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats .-Life:He graduated with a degree in philosophy...
(ex-PCI
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
, ex-AD
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...
). Since the foundation of Forza Italia in 1994, it was the first time that supporters of Christian democracy, which is by far the largest ideological tendency within the party, set up a nationally-organized faction. That was the result of the growing influence of liberals
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
(some of them gathered in Popular Liberalism
Popular Liberalism
Popular Liberalism , recently known also as Liberal Union of the Centre , is a liberal faction within The People of Freedom, a political party in Italy....
) and social democrats
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...
(organized in four groups: We Blue Reformers
We Blue Reformers
We Reformers is a social-democratic faction within The People of Freedom , a political party in Italy.The faction was organized in 2005 within Forza Italia, the centre-right party created by Silvio Berlusconi, as We Blue Reformers...
, Young Italy, Free Foundation
Free Foundation
The Free Foundation is a think tank within The People of Freedom, a political party in Italy.Although most of its leading members are former members of the Italian Socialist Party and thus have social-democratic roots, the group expresses liberal and libertarian stances...
and the Circles of Reformist Initiative) in party ranks over Christian democrats, who constitute an overwhelmingly although not organized majority.
The faction, composed of both former Christian Democrats
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 ....
(Roberto Formigoni
Roberto Formigoni
Roberto Formigoni is an Italian politician, and the current President of Lombardy Region, Italy.-Life and career:Graduated in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Milan, he studied political economy at the Sorbonne, in Paris....
, Giuseppe Pisanu
Giuseppe Pisanu
Giuseppe Pisanu is an Italian politician, longtime member of the Chamber of Deputies for the Christian Democracy and then for Forza Italia...
, Enrico La Loggia, Giuseppe Gargani
Giuseppe Gargani
Giuseppe Gargani is an Italian politician, a lawyer and from 1999 to 2009 a Member of the European Parliament,. He was elected on the Forza Italia ticket and sat with the European People's Party group. In the June 2009 elections Mr...
, Angelo Sanza, Raffaele Fitto
Raffaele Fitto
Raffaele Fitto is an Italian politician, current Minister for Regional Business in Berlusconi IV Cabinet.-Biography:Raffaele Fitto was born in Maglie, Province of Lecce. His father, Salvatore Fitto, who was an exponent of the Christian Democracy and President of Apulia from 1985, died in...
) and former Liberals
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...
(Isabella Bertolini, Antonio Tajani
Antonio Tajani
Antonio Tajani is an Italian politician. He is the current European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship and has also been one of the five Vice-President of the European Commission since May 2008....
), was very keen on the formation of a new of a Freedom Party uniting the three main parties of the centre-right
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...
: Forza Italia, National Alliance
National Alliance (Italy)
National Alliance was a conservative political party in Italy.Gianfranco Fini was the leader of the party since its foundation in 1995, however he stepped down in 2008 after being elected to the nominally non-partisan post of President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and was succeeded by...
(AN) and the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC). In their perspective, this party should be the synthesis of Christian democrats and liberals, and they consider themselves as an embryo of this project.
The "Manifesto for a Good Politics" (Manifesto per una buona politica) was signed by most Christian democrats of Forza Italia, including Claudio Azzolini, Maria Burani, Cesare Campa
Cesare Campa
Cesare Campa is an Italian politician from Murano, Veneto.A long-time Christian Democrat, he was elected to the Regional Council of Veneto for Forza Italia in 1995 and 2000. From 1995 to 2000 Campa was regional minister of Labour and Sports in Galan I Government...
, Giuseppe Cossiga
Giuseppe Cossiga
Giuseppe Cossiga is an Italian politician, member of the Forza Italia party . He became Undersecretary of State for Defence in the cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi on May 12, 2008....
, Maurizio Lupi, Adriano Paroli, Roberto Rosso and Gustavo Selva, and also by Maurizio Sacconi
Maurizio Sacconi
Maurizio Sacconi is an Italian politician from Veneto.A long-time member of the Italian Socialist Party, from 1979 to 1994 he was a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and from 1987 to 1994 he served also as Under-Secretary of the Treasury...
, a former Socialist
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...
.
Adornato proposed also another "Liberals and Populars Manifesto" (Manifesto Liberali e Popolari), which was signed by Alfredo Biondi
Alfredo Biondi
Alfredo Biondi is an Italian politician and lawyer. In 1994 he served as Minister of Justice of the Italian Republic during the first cabinet chaired by Silvio Berlusconi.-Biography:...
(leading liberal and member of Popular Liberalism), Mario Pescante
Mario Pescante
Mario Pescante is an Italian politician and entrepreneur. He is a vice president of the International Olympic Committee and president of Rome's bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...
(ex-PRI
Italian Republican Party
The Italian Republican Party is a liberal political party in Italy.The PRI is party with old roots that originally took a left-wing position, claiming descent from the political position of Giuseppe Mazzini...
) Gennaro Malgieri (AN), Sandro Fontana (UDC), Ortensio Zecchino (UDC) and Renzo Foa (editorialist of Il Giornale
Il Giornale
il Giornale is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan, Italy.-History:The newspaper was planned in 1972 by the journalist Indro Montanelli, together with the colleague Enzo Bettiza, after some disagreements with the new pro-left editorial line adopted by the newspaper Corriere della Sera,...
), and transformed his "Liberal Circles" in "Liberals and Populars Circles". At the head of these there is a President (Adornato himself), a Coordinator (Angelo Sanza) and a Board (composed of the people who signed the Manifesto).
When Berlusconi decided to launch the People of Freedom party on 18 November, both Adornato and Sanza suddenly refused to join it because they felt it was too personality-driven. On 1 February 2008 they finally switched to the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats. After this move, the faction was disbanded, as most of the members decided to follow Berlusconi's line. It seems that the idea of a united Christian-democratic faction within Forza Italia has failed again and that the group around Formigoni, Network Italy
Network Italy
Network Italy is a Christian-democratic faction within The People of Freedom , a political party in Italy. It is composed of followers of Roberto Formigoni, a party bigwig who is currently President of Lombardy...
, might take this role.
Adornato later transformed its circles in a faction within UDC, the Liberals and Christians
Liberals and Christians
Liberals and Christians is a liberal-conservative faction within the Italian Union of Christian and Centre Democrats ....
.