United to the Left
Encyclopedia
United to the Left was a network of leftist
groups associated with the Communist Refoundation Party
(PRC) in Italy
from 2005 to 2009. At some point it claimed to have 20,000 members and 300 clubs all around Italy.
In April 2005 Pietro Folena (a leading member of the Democrats of the Left
who had been a close aide of Walter Veltroni
) and Francesco Martone (a splinter from the Federation of the Greens
) left their parties in order to join the PRC.
In July 2008 they formed "United to the Left" as a network of left-wing groups which wanted to take part to Fausto Bertinotti
's project of the European Left, along with Antonello Falomi (a former deputy leader of the Democrats of the Left in the Senate
who had followed Achille Occhetto
into an alliance with Italy of Values
for the 2004 European Parliament election
) and two leading members of the Italian General Confederation of Labour
, Paolo Nerozzi and Gianni Rinaldini. The group was later joined by Maura Cossutta, daughter of Armando
and leading member of the Party of Italian Communists
.
In the 2006 general election
Folena, Falomi and Martone were all re-elected to Parliament in PRC's list. In 2007 United to the Left was a keen supporter of The Left – The Rainbow
alliance with the Greens, the Italian Communists and Democratic Left
.
After the alliance was trounced by voters in 2008 general election
and the Bertinottiani
had lost the leadership of the PRC to the internal left in the 24-27 July 2008, United to the Left subsequently ended its collaboration with the PRC. In November 2009 Folena joined the Democratic Party
.
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
groups associated with the Communist Refoundation Party
Communist Refoundation Party
The Communist Refoundation Party is a communist Italian political party. Its current secretary is Paolo Ferrero....
(PRC) 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...
from 2005 to 2009. At some point it claimed to have 20,000 members and 300 clubs all around Italy.
In April 2005 Pietro Folena (a leading member of 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...
who had been a close aide of Walter Veltroni
Walter Veltroni
Walter Veltroni, Knight Grand Cross, is an Italian writer, journalist and politician, who served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the centre-left opposition, until his resignation on 17 February 2009. He served as Mayor of Rome from 2001 to 2008.-Biography:Walter Veltroni was...
) and Francesco Martone (a splinter from 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:...
) left their parties in order to join the PRC.
In July 2008 they formed "United to the Left" as a network of left-wing groups which wanted to take part to Fausto Bertinotti
Fausto Bertinotti
Fausto Bertinotti is an Italian politician and former leader of the Partito della Rifondazione Comunista. On April 29, 2006, after the center-left coalition's victory in the Italian general election, he was chosen by the new parliament as President of the Chamber of Deputies .-Trade...
's project of the European Left, along with Antonello Falomi (a former deputy leader of the Democrats of the Left 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...
who had followed Achille Occhetto
Achille Occhetto
Achille Occhetto , nicknamed Akel, is an Italian political figure.-Biography:Occhetto was born in Turin. He served as the secretary-general of the Italian Communist Party between 1988 and 1994 Achille Occhetto (born 3 March 1936), nicknamed Akel, is an Italian political figure.-Biography:Occhetto...
into an alliance with Italy of Values
Italy of Values
Italy of Values is a centrist, populist and anti-corruption political party in Italy. The party, which is affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party , is headed by former Mani pulite prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro, who entered politics in 1996.The party aims to gather and give...
for the 2004 European Parliament election
European 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...
) and two leading members of the Italian General Confederation of Labour
Italian General Confederation of Labour
-External links:**...
, Paolo Nerozzi and Gianni Rinaldini. The group was later joined by Maura Cossutta, daughter of Armando
Armando Cossutta
-Life:Born in Milan, Cosutta joined the Italian Communist Party in 1943, and took part in the Italian resistance movement as a partisan. After World War II, he became one of the leading members of the party, representing the most pro-Soviet Union tendency; his belief in that country as the...
and leading member of 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:...
.
In 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...
Folena, Falomi and Martone were all re-elected to Parliament in PRC's list. In 2007 United to the Left was a keen supporter of The Left – The Rainbow
The Left – The Rainbow
The Left – The Rainbow , frequently referred as Rainbow Left , was a left-wing federation of parties in Italy....
alliance with the Greens, the Italian Communists and 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...
.
After the alliance was trounced by voters in 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...
and the Bertinottiani
Bertinottiani
Bertinottiani referred to the faction around Fausto Bertinotti, a leading member of the Communist Refoundation Party , a political party in Italy....
had lost the leadership of the PRC to the internal left in the 24-27 July 2008, United to the Left subsequently ended its collaboration with the PRC. In November 2009 Folena joined 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....
.