Italian People's Party (1994–2002)
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The Italian People's Party (, PPI) was a
Christian-democratic Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well a ...
,
centrist Centrism is the range of political ideologies that exist between left-wing politics and right-wing politics on the left–right political spectrum. It is associated with moderate politics, including people who strongly support moderate policie ...
and Christian-leftist
political party in Italy This is a list of political parties in Italy since Italian unification in 1861. Throughout history, numerous political parties have been operating in Italy. Since World War II no party has ever gained enough support to govern alone; thus, partie ...
. The party was a member of the
European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democracy, Christian democratic, liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other p ...
(EPP). The PPI was the formal successor of the
Christian Democracy Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well ...
(DC), but was soon deprived of its conservative elements, which successively formed the Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) in 1994 and the
United Christian Democrats The United Christian Democrats (, CDU) was a minor Christian democratic political party in Italy. The CDU was a member of the European People's Party from 1995 until 2002. History The party was started in 1995 by splinters of the Italian People ...
(CDU) in 1995. The PPI was finally merged into
Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (, DL), commonly known simply as The Daisy (''La Margherita''), was a Centrism, centrist List of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy. The party was formed from the merger of three parties with ...
(DL) in 2002, and DL was later merged with the
Democrats of the Left The Democrats of the Left (, DS) was a social-democratic political party in Italy. Positioned on the centre-left, the DS, successor of the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) and the Italian Communist Party, was formed in 1998 upon the merger ...
(DS) and minor centre-left parties into Democratic Party (PD) in 2007.


History

The party emerged in January 1994 as the successor to the
Christian Democracy Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well ...
(DC), Italy's dominant party since
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, following the final national council of the DC and the split of a right-wing faction led by
Pier Ferdinando Casini Pier Ferdinando Casini (; born 3 December 1955) is an Italian politician. He served as President of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), President of the Chamber of Deputies from 2001 to 2006. Casini is the honorary president of the Centrist Democra ...
, which had formed the Christian Democratic Centre (CCD). The first secretary of the PPI was
Mino Martinazzoli Fermo "Mino" Martinazzoli (; 3 November 1931 – 4 September 2011) was an Italian lawyer, politician, and former minister. He was the last secretary of the Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democracy (DC) party and the first secretary of the ...
. He led the party to a severe defeat (11.1% of the vote) in the 1994 general election, fought in coalition with the
Segni Pact The Segni Pact (), officially called Pact of National Rebirth (''Patto di Rinascita Nazionale''), was a Christian-democratic, centrist and liberal political party in Italy. The party was founded and named after Mario Segni, a former member of t ...
, under the
Pact for Italy The Pact for Italy () was a centrist political and electoral alliance in Italy launched by Mario Segni and Mino Martinazzoli in 1994. History The alliance was composed of the Italian People's Party (PPI), the main successor party to Christian De ...
banner. It was one of the worst defeats ever suffered by a Western European governing party. After the election, Martinazzoli was replaced as secretary by conservative philosopher
Rocco Buttiglione Rocco Buttiglione (; born 6 June 1948) is an Italian Union of Christian and Centre Democrats politician and an academic. Buttiglione's nomination for a post as European Commissioner with a portfolio that was to include civil liberties, resulted ...
. In 1995, when his proposal to join the centre-right
Pole of Freedoms The Pole of Freedoms () was a centre-right political and electoral alliance in Italy, launched at the 1994 general election by Silvio Berlusconi. Its counterpart in central and southern Italy was the Pole of Good Government, both forming the f ...
coalition (composed of
Forza Italia (FI; ) was a centre-right liberal-conservative political party in Italy, with Christian democratic,Chiara Moroni, , Carocci, Rome 2008 liberalOreste Massari, ''I partiti politici nelle democrazie contempoiranee'', Laterza, Rome-Bari 2004 (esp ...
,
National Alliance National Alliance may refer to: Electoral alliances *National Alliance (Egypt) (2015) * National Alliance (Ireland) (2024 onwards) * National Alliance (Pakistan) (2002-2004) *Nation Alliance (Turkey) (2018-2023) Political parties and organizations ...
and the CCD) was rejected by the party's national council, Buttiglione, along with
Roberto Formigoni Roberto Formigoni (born 30 March 1947) is an Italian politician. He was the president of Lombardy from 1995 to 2013. He is the former unofficial political spokesperson of the Communion and Liberation movement. On 21 February 2019, the Supreme Co ...
,
Gianfranco Rotondi Gianfranco Rotondi (born 25 July 1960) is an Italian politician. A member of the Italian Parliament since 1994, he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1994 to 1996, from 2001 to 2006, and since 2008, as well as a member of the Senate of ...
and other bigwigs, formed the
United Christian Democrats The United Christian Democrats (, CDU) was a minor Christian democratic political party in Italy. The CDU was a member of the European People's Party from 1995 until 2002. History The party was started in 1995 by splinters of the Italian People ...
(CDU). This essentially left the PPI as the left wing of the former DC. As such, the PPI joined the
centre-left coalition The centre-left coalition () is a political alliance of political parties in Italy active under several forms and names since 1995, when The Olive Tree was formed under the leadership of Romano Prodi. The centre-left coalition has ruled the c ...
. For the 1996 general election the PPI formed the
Populars for Prodi The Populars for Prodi () was an electoral list of political parties in Italy. The list participated in the 1996 general election as a component of The Olive Tree, supporting Romano Prodi as candidate for Prime Minister. The list, contested se ...
list with the Democratic Union (UD), the
Italian Republican Party The Italian Republican Party (, PRI) is a political party in Italy established in 1895, which makes it the oldest political party still active in the country. The PRI identifies with 19th-century classical radicalism, as well as Mazzinianism, a ...
(PRI) and the
South Tyrolean People's Party The South Tyrolean People's Party (, SVP) is a regionalism (politics), regionalist and mostly Christian democracy, Christian-democratic list of political parties in South Tyrol, political party in South Tyrol, an Autonomous administrative divisio ...
(SVP). The list was part of The Olive Tree, the formal alliance of the centre-left coalition, and won 6.8% of the vote. The PPI was represented in
Romano Prodi Romano Prodi (; born 9 August 1939) is an Italian politician who served as President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004 and twice as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1996 to 1998, and again from 2006 to 2008. Prodi is considered the fo ...
's first government by three ministers:
Beniamino Andreatta Beniamino "Nino" Andreatta (11 August 1928 – 26 March 2007) was an Italian economist and politician. He was a member of Christian Democracy, and one of the founders of the Italian People's Party in 1994 and of the Olive Tree centre-left coali ...
at Defence,
Rosy Bindi Maria Rosaria "Rosy" Bindi (; born 12 February 1951) is an Italian politician and former president of the Antimafia Commission. She began her political career in Christian Democracy (DC), becoming a member of the European Parliament in 1989. Aft ...
at Health and
Michele Pinto Michele Pinto (born 2 January 1931, Teggiano) is an Italian politician. Biography Pinto served as Minister of agriculture in the Prodi I Cabinet and was the promoter of the Pinto law on fair reparation for the damage, patrimonial or non-patrimoni ...
at Agriculture. Additionally,
Nicola Mancino Nicola Mancino (born 15 October 1931) is an Italian politician who served as president of the Senate of the Republic (Italy), Senate of the Republic from 1996 to 2001. He was also president of Campania's regional parliament from 1965 to 1971, g ...
was President of the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. In the
1999 European Parliament election The 1999 European Parliament election 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 ...
the PPI was damaged by the competition from The Democrats (Dem), a centrist and
social-liberal Social liberalism is a political philosophy and variety of liberalism that endorses social justice, social services, a mixed economy, and the expansion of civil and political rights, as opposed to classical liberalism which favors limited ...
party launched by Prodi: the PPI won only 4.3% of the vote, while The Democrats took 7.7%. For the 2001 general election the PPI formed a joint list with The Democrats, the Union of Democrats for Europe (UDEUR) and
Italian Renewal Italian Renewal (, RI) was a centrist and liberal political party in Italy. The party was a member of The Olive Tree and centre-left coalition, while also affiliated to the European People's Party from 1998 to 2004. History Originally the D ...
(RI). The list, named
Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (, DL), commonly known simply as The Daisy (''La Margherita''), was a Centrism, centrist List of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy. The party was formed from the merger of three parties with ...
(DL), won 14.5% of vote. In 2002 DL was transformed into a full-fledged party, the PPI was merged into it and a cultural association named
The Populars The Populars (''I Popolari'') is a loose association within the Democratic Party (Italy), Democratic Party (PD), a list of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy. The Populars are the heirs of the Italian People's Party (1994), Itali ...
was formed. DL would later be merged, along with the
Democrats of the Left The Democrats of the Left (, DS) was a social-democratic political party in Italy. Positioned on the centre-left, the DS, successor of the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) and the Italian Communist Party, was formed in 1998 upon the merger ...
(DS) and minor centre-left parties, into the Democratic Party (PD), of which The Populars became a faction. Two members of the PPI and DL,
Enrico Letta Enrico Letta (; born 20 August 1966) is an Italian politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy The prime minister of Italy, officially the president of the Council of Ministers (), is the head of government of the Italy, Italian Republ ...
and
Matteo Renzi Matteo Renzi (; born 11 January 1975) is an Italian politician who served as prime minister of Italy from 2014 to 2016. He has been a senator for Florence since 2018. Renzi has served as the leader of Italia Viva (IV) since 2019, having bee ...
, would successively serve as
Prime Ministers A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but rat ...
in 2013–2016.


Electoral results


Italian Parliament


European Parliament


Leadership

*Secretary:
Mino Martinazzoli Fermo "Mino" Martinazzoli (; 3 November 1931 – 4 September 2011) was an Italian lawyer, politician, and former minister. He was the last secretary of the Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democracy (DC) party and the first secretary of the ...
(1994),
Rocco Buttiglione Rocco Buttiglione (; born 6 June 1948) is an Italian Union of Christian and Centre Democrats politician and an academic. Buttiglione's nomination for a post as European Commissioner with a portfolio that was to include civil liberties, resulted ...
(1994–1995), Gerardo Bianco (1995–1997),
Franco Marini Franco Marini (9 April 1933 – 9 February 2021) was an Italian politician and a prominent member of the centre-left Democratic Party. From 2006 to 2008, he was the president of the Senate. Biography Trade unionist Marini was born in San P ...
(1997–1999),
Pierluigi Castagnetti Pierluigi Castagnetti (born 9 June 1945) is an Italian politician. Biography Born in Reggio nell'Emilia, he Graduate school, graduated in Political science. In the 1970s he was collaborator of Giuseppe Dossetti, then of Benigno Zaccagnini and Mi ...
(1999–2002) **Deputy Secretary: Dario Franceschini (1997–1999),
Enrico Letta Enrico Letta (; born 20 August 1966) is an Italian politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy The prime minister of Italy, officially the president of the Council of Ministers (), is the head of government of the Italy, Italian Republ ...
(1997–1998) **Coordinator: Antonello Soro (1997–1998), Dario Franceschini (1998–1999), Lapo Pistelli (1999–2002) *President: Rosa Russo Iervolino (1994), Giovanni Bianchi (1994–1997), Gerardo Bianco (1997–1999) *Party Leader in the
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
: Gerardo Bianco (1994),
Beniamino Andreatta Beniamino "Nino" Andreatta (11 August 1928 – 26 March 2007) was an Italian economist and politician. He was a member of Christian Democracy, and one of the founders of the Italian People's Party in 1994 and of the Olive Tree centre-left coali ...
(1994–1996),
Sergio Mattarella Sergio Mattarella (; born 23 July 1941) is an Italian politician and jurist who has served as the president of Italy since 2015. He is the longest-serving president in the history of the Italian Republic. Since Giorgio Napolitano's death in 20 ...
(1996–1998), Antonello Soro (1998–2001),
Pierluigi Castagnetti Pierluigi Castagnetti (born 9 June 1945) is an Italian politician. Biography Born in Reggio nell'Emilia, he Graduate school, graduated in Political science. In the 1970s he was collaborator of Giuseppe Dossetti, then of Benigno Zaccagnini and Mi ...
(2001–2002) *Party Leader in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
: Gabriele De Rosa (1994),
Nicola Mancino Nicola Mancino (born 15 October 1931) is an Italian politician who served as president of the Senate of the Republic (Italy), Senate of the Republic from 1996 to 2001. He was also president of Campania's regional parliament from 1965 to 1971, g ...
(1994–1996),
Leopoldo Elia Leopoldo Elia (4 November 1925 – 5 October 2008) was an Italian politician. Biography Leopoldo Elia was born in Fano, Marche, in 1925. His father was Raffaele Elia, the secretary of the Italian People's Party in Fano in the first post-war pe ...
(1996–2001), Paolo Giaretta (2001–2002) *Party Leader in the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
: Mario Forte (1994),
Pierluigi Castagnetti Pierluigi Castagnetti (born 9 June 1945) is an Italian politician. Biography Born in Reggio nell'Emilia, he Graduate school, graduated in Political science. In the 1970s he was collaborator of Giuseppe Dossetti, then of Benigno Zaccagnini and Mi ...
(1994–1999), Guido Bodrato (1999–2002)


Symbols

Before the secession of the CDU, the PPI’s logo was adaptation of the old DC’s logo. File:Italian People's Party logo (1994).jpg , First logo (1994–1995) File:PARTITO POPOLARE ITALIANO.gif, Alternative logo


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Italian People's Party 1994 establishments in Italy 2002 disestablishments in Italy Centrist parties in Italy Christian democratic parties in Italy Defunct Christian political parties Defunct political parties in Italy Political parties established in 1994 Political parties disestablished in 2002