Remake Italy Rifare l'Italia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leaders | Matteo Orfini Andrea Orlando Roberto Gualtieri |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Registered | 2011 |
| Dissolved | 2017 |
| Ideology | Social democracy Democratic socialism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
Remake Italy (Italian:Rifare l'Italia), whose members were known asYoung Turks (Giovani Turchi), was asocial-democratic and, to some extent,democratic-socialist faction within theDemocratic Party (PD), apolitical party in Italy.
Prominent members includedMatteo Orfini,Stefano Fassina,Andrea Orlando,Maurizio Martina,Roberto Gualtieri,Francesco Verducci andFausto Raciti.[1][2] The faction's leader, Orfini, was elected president of the PD in June 2014.
The group was originally formed in 2010, but became an effective faction only with the formation of the association named "Remake Italy" in 2011. Mostly formerDemocrats of the Left, youngDalemiani and anti-New Labour social-democrats, the Young Turks opposedMario Monti'sgovernment and the rise within the party ofMatteo Renzi, a reformer who was the darling of PD'sliberals.[1][3] They were thus supporters ofPier Luigi Bersani during his four years as party leader (2009–2013): Orfini and Fassina were members of his political secretariat, while Orlando was the party's spokesperson.[4][5]
After the2013 general election in which 4.5% of Democratic deputies and senators were affiliated to the faction,[6] and itsaftermath, the Young Turks were disappointed by Bersani and, motivated by a generational drive, started to approach Renzi.[7][8] During the2013 leadership election they supportedGianni Cuperlo, but since 2014 started to support Renzi.
In February 2014 Renzi appointed Orlando and Martina ministers in hisgovernment, respectively at Justice and Agricolture, while in June Orfini was elected president of the party on Renzi's proposal. The faction continued to exist under the leadership of Orfini, while Orlando, Martina and Fassina were less involved or distanced from it: Orlando focused on his high-profile government job, Martina was a founding member ofLeft is Change,[9] and Fassina left the party altogether.[10]
In the run-up of the2017 leadership election, Orlando decided to challenge Renzi.[11] Most of the faction followed him, while Orfini supported Renzi, along with the majority of Martina's Left is Change faction (Martina was candidate for deputy secretary). Orlando was notably endorsed byLuciano Violante andNicola Zingaretti, as well asCesare Damiano andAnna Finocchiaro (minority of Left is Change).[12] After Renzi's re-election, Remake Italy was disbanded: Orfini continued to be the editor ofLeft Wing, a political journal whose circle could be considered his new faction, while Orlando launched his own association,Democracy Europe Society (DEmS).[13][14] Also Left is Change was disbanded: Martina's followers formedFuture! European Democrats, while those of Damiano re-organised themselves as theDem Labourites.