UDEUR Populars for the South
Encyclopedia
UDEUR Populars for the South (UDEUR Popolari per il Sud) is a small centrist
and Christian-democratic
political party in Italy. Led by Clemente Mastella
, the party has been at times very strong in Southern Italy, but almost irrelevant in Northern Italy
. After a decline in terms of popularity in 2007–2008, the party resists only in Campania
(Mastella's heartland).
The "UDEUR" part of the name refers to "Union of Democrats for Europe", which was the party's name until November 2003.
. 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.
At its debut in the 1999 European Parliament election
, the party received 1.6% of the vote, having its strongholds in the South (5.1% in Campania
, 4.4% in Apulia
and 7.1% in Sicily
).
In 2000, along with the Italian People's Party, The Democrats and Italian Renewal
, UDEUR joined Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL), which gained 14.6% in the 2001 general election
. When DL was transformed into a party, Mastella refused to join.
, it achieved 1.3% of the national vote, sufficient to elect an MEP
, who sat 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, although it was in conflict with the secularist
policies of the then-new political alliance Rose in the Fist
and despite the presence of far left
parties such as the Communist Refoundation Party
. In fact the party remained in the political sphere of the centre even though its policies were not very compatible with the centre-left coalition.
At the 2006 general election
, UDEUR was part of The Union
coalition. 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 second government
.
, resigned as Minister of Justice and on 21 January decided to withdraw his party's support to Romano Prodi
, who himself resigned after a vote of confidence in the Senate
on 24 January, clearing the way toward a snap election.
In the following weeks the party suffered several splits leading to several regional parties, notably the Democratic Populars
in Campania
, the United Populars
in Basilicata
and the Sardinian Autonomist Populars
in Sardinia
, while the Umbria
n regional section joined Christian Democracy. Most leading members, including Antonio Satta, Stefano Cusumano
, Mauro Fabris, Armando Veneto
and Tommaso Barbato, left.
In the 2008 general election
both The People of Freedom
(PdL) and the Union of the Centre (UdC) refused UDEUR as coalition partner. The party was thus reduced to a regional party in Campania
. The party chose not to present any list in the election and even Mastella decided not to run for re-election.
in the PdL list.
After being almost disbanded in 2008, the party tried to recover and broaden its base. Some former UDEUR members came back and new members joined. The latter included Giulio Di Donato, a former leading figure of the Italian Socialist Party
, who was appointed regional secretary in Campania.
In June 2010 the party took the name Populars for the South, but in early 2011 that was changed again into UDEUR Populars for the South. In May 2011 Mastella ran for mayor of Naples and gained just 2.5% of the vote. After the election, he announced his intention to leave the PdL and form an alliance with the New Pole for Italy
.
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
and Christian-democratic
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...
political party in Italy. Led by Clemente Mastella
Clemente Mastella
Mario Clemente Mastella is an Italian politician. He is currently leader of Popular-UDEUR, a minor centrist Italian party. He was Minister of Labour in the Berlusconi government from 10 May 1994 to 17 January 1995, and Minister of Justice in the Prodi government from 17 May 2006 to 17 January 2008...
, the party has been at times very strong in Southern Italy, but almost irrelevant in Northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
. After a decline in terms of popularity in 2007–2008, the party resists only in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
(Mastella's heartland).
The "UDEUR" part of the name refers to "Union of Democrats for Europe", which was the party's name until November 2003.
Early years
UDEUR emerged in May 1999 after the breakup of the Democratic Union for the RepublicDemocratic Union for the Republic
The Democratic Union for the Republic was a short-lived centrist political party in Italy.It was founded in February 1998 by Francesco Cossiga, Clemente Mastella , Rocco Buttiglione , Mario Segni The Democratic Union for the Republic (Unione Democratica per la Repubblica, UDR) was a short-lived...
. This party was founded in June 1998, under the leadership of Francesco Cossiga
Francesco Cossiga
Francesco Cossiga was an Italian politician, the 43rd Prime Minister and the eighth President of the Italian Republic. He was also a professor of constitutional law at the University of Sassari....
, by the merger of the United Christian Democrats
United Christian Democrats
The United Christian Democrats was a Christian democratic party in Italy.-History:It began in 1995 by a split of those members of the Italian People's Party who wanted to enter into an alliance with Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia...
of Rocco Buttiglione
Rocco Buttiglione
Rocco Buttiglione is an Italian Christian Democrat politician and an academic.His nomination for a post as European Commissioner with a portfolio that was to include civil liberties, resulted in controversy as some political groups opposed him for his Roman Catholic views on homosexuality, despite...
, the Christian Democrats for the Republic
Christian Democrats for the Republic
The Christian Democrats for the Republic was a Christian-democratic Italian political party.The party was formed in February 1998 as a splinter group from the Christian Democratic Centre...
(a splinter group from the Christian Democratic Centre) of Mastella, the Patto Segni
Patto Segni
Patto Segni was a Christian-democratic and liberal political party in Italy, named after Mario Segni.-History:The party was founded in 1993 as a split from Democratic Alliance and as the continuation of the Populars for the Reform, a split from Christian Democracy in 1992, whose principal aim was...
of Mario Segni
Mario Segni
Mariotto Segni, more often known as Mario, is an Italian politician, son of Antonio Segni, one time President of the Republic of Italy....
and splinters from 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....
, 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...
and Lega Nord.
At its debut in the 1999 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 1999
The European Parliament Election, 1999 was a European election for all 626 members of the European Parliament held across the 15 European Union member states on 10, 11 and 13 June 1999. The voter turn-out was generally low, except in Belgium and Luxembourg, where voting is compulsory and where...
, the party received 1.6% of the vote, having its strongholds in the South (5.1% in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, 4.4% in Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
and 7.1% 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,...
).
In 2000, along with the Italian People's Party, The Democrats and Italian Renewal
Italian Renewal
The Italian Renewal was a liberal-centrist political party in Italy.It was founded in 1996 by Lamberto Dini along with some former Liberals, Socialists, Christian Democrats, Republicans and Social Democrats...
, UDEUR joined Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL), which gained 14.6% in the 2001 general election
Italian general election, 2001
A national general election was held in Italy on May 13, 2001 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. The 14th Parliament of the Italian republic was chosen....
. When DL was transformed into a party, Mastella refused to join.
Heyday
At the 2004 European Parliamentary ElectionEuropean Parliament election, 2004 (Italy)
Elections to the European Parliament were held in Italy on 12 and 13 June 2004. Italy's highly fragmented party system made it hard to identify an overall trend, but the results were generally seen as a defeat for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and a victory for the centre-left opposition...
, it achieved 1.3% of the national vote, sufficient to elect an MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
, who sat in the EPP-ED Group. In the 2005 regional elections
Italian regional elections, 2005
The Italian regional elections of 3–4 April 2005 were a major victory for the centre-left The Union coalition, led by Romano Prodi. The centre-right coalition, governing in the national government, was defeated in all the regions it held, except for its strongholds in Lombardy and Veneto, whose...
the party had its best result ever, having scored 10.3% in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, 11.1% in Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
and 8.7% in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
.
Mastella decided to keep the party in the centre-left, although it was in conflict with the secularist
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
policies of the then-new political alliance Rose in the Fist
Rose in the Fist
The Rose in the Fist was a coalition of parties in Italy.The RnP was composed of the social-democratic Italian Democratic Socialists , the libertarian Italian Radicals and some independent members gathered in the Association for the Rose in the Fist The Rose in the Fist was a coalition of...
and despite the presence of far left
Far left
Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
parties such as the Communist Refoundation Party
Communist Refoundation Party
The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero....
. In fact the party remained in the political sphere of the centre even though its policies were not very compatible with the centre-left coalition.
At the 2006 general election
Italian general election, 2006
In the Italian general election, 2006 for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy held on April 9 and April 10, 2006 the incumbent prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the center-right House of Freedoms, was narrowly defeated by Romano Prodi, leader of the center-left The...
, UDEUR was part of The Union
The Union (political coalition)
The Union was an centre-left coalition of political parties in Italy. It was led by Romano Prodi, Prime Minister of Italy from April 2006 to April 2008, and former President of the European Commission.-Parties:...
coalition. 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
Italian Minister of Justice
This is a list of Italian Ministers of Justice since 1946.-External links:* *...
in Romano Prodi's second government
Prodi II Cabinet
The Prodi II Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008, a total of 722 days, or 1 year, 11 months and 21 days...
.
The fall
On 16 January 2008 Clemente Mastella, who was under investigation by prosecutor Luigi de MagistrisLuigi de Magistris
Luigi de Magistris may refer to:*Luigi de Magistris , Italian Roman Catholic archbishop*Luigi de Magistris , Italian politician and magistrate...
, resigned as Minister of Justice and on 21 January decided to withdraw his party's support to 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...
, who himself resigned after a vote of confidence in the Senate
Italian Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
on 24 January, clearing the way toward a snap election.
In the following weeks the party suffered several splits leading to several regional parties, notably the Democratic Populars
Democratic Populars
The Democratic Populars is a tiny Christian-Democratic Italian political party based in Campania.It was founded in February 2008 by splinters from the UDEUR Populars who wanted to continue the alliance with centre-left The Union coalition...
in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, the United Populars
United Populars
The United Populars is a regional Christian-democratic political party based in Basilicata, Italy.The party was founded in February 2008 by splinters from the UDEUR Populars who wanted to continue the alliance with centre-left The Union coalition...
in Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
and the Sardinian Autonomist Populars
Sardinian Autonomist Populars
The Sardinian Autonomist Populars was a tiny regionalist Christian-democratic Italian political party based in Sardinia....
in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, while the Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
n regional section joined Christian Democracy. Most leading members, including Antonio Satta, Stefano Cusumano
Stefano Cusumano
Nuccio Cusumano, is an Italian politician whose most recent political appointment was to the Italian Senate on the roster of the UDEUR party as one of thirty representatives for the Campania constituency.Born in Sciacca , he holds a law degree and has worked as an entrepreneur and as a...
, Mauro Fabris, Armando Veneto
Armando Veneto
Armando Veneto is an Italian politician. He was a member of the European Parliament from May 8, 2006, when he took up a seat vacated after the 2006 Italian general election, until the 2009 European elections. He represented the Popular-UDEUR within the EPP-ED parliamentary group.-References:...
and Tommaso Barbato, left.
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...
both The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom is a centre-right political party in Italy. With the Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties of the current Italian party system....
(PdL) and the Union of the Centre (UdC) refused UDEUR as coalition partner. The party was thus reduced to a regional party in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
. The party chose not to present any list in the election and even Mastella decided not to run for re-election.
After the fall
In February 2009 an alliance between UDEUR and the PdL in Campania was announced by the regional leaders of the two parties. Under this agreement, UDEUR supported centre-right candidates in 2009 provincial and municipal elections in Campania and Mastella was elected to the 2009 European Parliament electionEuropean Parliament election, 2009 (Italy)
European elections to elect 72 members of the European Parliament representing Italy were held on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2009, as decided by the Italian government on December 18, 2008...
in the PdL list.
After being almost disbanded in 2008, the party tried to recover and broaden its base. Some former UDEUR members came back and new members joined. The latter included Giulio Di Donato, a former leading figure of 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...
, who was appointed regional secretary in Campania.
In June 2010 the party took the name Populars for the South, but in early 2011 that was changed again into UDEUR Populars for the South. In May 2011 Mastella ran for mayor of Naples and gained just 2.5% of the vote. After the election, he announced his intention to leave the PdL and form an alliance with the New Pole for Italy
New Pole for Italy
The New Pole for Italy , referred also either as the Third Pole or Pole of the Nation , is a centre-right coalition of parties in Italy....
.
Leadership
- Secretary: Clemente MastellaClemente MastellaMario Clemente Mastella is an Italian politician. He is currently leader of Popular-UDEUR, a minor centrist Italian party. He was Minister of Labour in the Berlusconi government from 10 May 1994 to 17 January 1995, and Minister of Justice in the Prodi government from 17 May 2006 to 17 January 2008...
(1999–2010)- Deputy Secretary: Stefano CusumanoStefano CusumanoNuccio Cusumano, is an Italian politician whose most recent political appointment was to the Italian Senate on the roster of the UDEUR party as one of thirty representatives for the Campania constituency.Born in Sciacca , he holds a law degree and has worked as an entrepreneur and as a...
(1999–2005), Antonio Satta (2005–2008), Marco Di Stefano (2007–2008) - Coordinator: Mauro Fabris (1999–2006)
- Deputy Secretary: Stefano Cusumano
- President: Irene Pivetti (1999–2002), Ida Dentamaro (2002–2004), Mino Martinazzoli (2004–2005), Lorenzo AcquaroneLorenzo AcquaroneLorenzo Acquarone is an Italian politician.Acquarone graduated in law and became a lawyer and university lecturer. As a member of the Italian People's Party, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for three legislatures...
(2005–2006), Federica Rossi Gasparrini (2007–2008), Marilina Intrieri (2009–2010) - Administrative Secretary: Tancredi Cimmino (1999–2006), Mauro Fabris (2006), Pier Paolo Sganga (2006–2008)