Always Forward Sempre Avanti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leaders | Roberto Giachetti Anna Ascani |
| Founded | June 2019 |
| Dissolved | September 2019 |
| Merged into | Italia Viva |
| Ideology | Liberalism Reformism Economic liberalism |
| Political position | Centre |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Always Forward (Italian:Sempre Avanti) was aliberal and centrist faction within theDemocratic Party (PD),[1] apolitical party in Italy. Its leaders wereRoberto Giachetti andAnna Ascani, close advisors ofMatteo Renzi, party's former national secretary and formerPrime Minister of Italy from February 2014 to December 2016.[2]
The movement rose around Giachetti's candidacy as secretary inMarch 2019 leadership election, where he arrived third, gaining 12% of votes.[3] Always Forward was considered Renzi's most loyal faction, which opposed any deal with secretaryNicola Zingaretti, asocial democrat.[4]
On 17 September, during an interview to Italian newspaperla Repubblica, Renzi announced his intention to leave the PD, and create new parliamentary groups, led by himself.[5] On the same day, interviewed byBruno Vespa during thelate-night TV talk-showPorta a Porta, he officially launchedItalia Viva (IV).[6] Almost every member of Always Forward, including Roberto Giachetti, followed Renzi in the new movement, while Anna Ascani remained within the PD, of which she was serving as vice president.[7][8] This brought to thede facto end of the faction.
