The Democrats I Democratici | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President | Romano Prodi (1999) Arturo Parisi (1999–2002) |
| Founded | 27 February 1999 |
| Dissolved | 23 March 2002 |
| Merger of | Democratic Union Italy of Values The Network |
| Merged into | Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy |
| Headquarters | Piazza dei Santi Apostoli, 73 Rome, Italy |
| Ideology | Social liberalism Christian left Social democracy |
| Political position | Centre tocentre-left |
| National affiliation | The Olive Tree |
| European affiliation | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party |
| European Parliament group | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group |
| Colours | Orange Light blue |
The Democrats (Italian:I Democratici,Dem) was acentrist[1] andsocial-liberalpolitical party inItaly.
The party was launched in 1999 byRomano Prodi, a few months after his dismissal asPrime Minister and leader ofThe Olive Tree coalition. Three parties merged into The Democrats: theDemocratic Union,Italy of Values andThe Network. Also splinters from theItalian People's Party joined. In 2002 The Democrats were merged intoDemocracy is Freedom – The Daisy, which would be merged into theDemocratic Party in 2007.
Early groups of "Olivists" were formed in 1995–1996, during the campaign for the1996 general election, by close supporters of Prodi who were not members of any party ofThe Olive Tree coalition, like Prodi himself. "Clubs for Prodi" and the "Citizens for The Olive Tree" association were organised. Although most Olivists took part to the campaign only as activists, some were elected with thePopulars for Prodi list, whose main constituent parties were the Christian-democraticItalian People's Party (PPI) and the social-liberalDemocratic Union (UD). The Olive Tree won the election, the PPI–UD joint list obtained 6.8% of the vote, and Prodi was sworn in asPrime Minister, at the head of theProdi I Cabinet.
After being ousted as Prime Minister and replaced byMassimo D'Alema (leader of theDemocrats of the Left) in November 1998, Prodi launched the new party in February 1999. The Democrats were joined by PPI splinters, grassroots activists, the UD (leader:Antonio Maccanico),The Network (leader:Leoluca Orlando),Italy of Values (leader:Antonio Di Pietro) – which would be re-established as an independent party in May 2000 –, and the so-called "Movement of Mayors" (leaders:Francesco Rutelli, a formerGreen, andMassimo Cacciari, a former Democrat of the Left).
After a few months after the party's foundation, Prodi gave way to his close associateArturo Parisi as president.
Prodi led The Democrats to a good result in the1999 European Parliament election (7.7%), much more than the PPI (4.3%). Six DemocraticMEPs were elected: Cacciari, Di Pietro, Rutelli,Paolo Costa,Pietro Mennea andGiovanni Procacci. In September Prodi was appointedPresident of the European Commission.
In December 1999 the party joinedD'Alema II Cabinet with four ministers: Maccanico as minister of Institutional Reforms,Enzo Bianco (who had missed the election as MEP for a few votes) minister of the Interior,Willer Bordon ministers of Public Works, andPaolo De Castro minister of Agriculture. Of these, all but the latter would be confirmed inAmato II Cabinet, which was formed in April 2000, after the coalition's defeat in theregional elections.
In early 2000 Parisi asked the Democrats of the Left, then led byWalter Veltroni, to dissolve into a new "Democratic Party". The proposal was not received, thus in October 2000 The Democrats agreed with the PPI,Italian Renewal and theUnion of Democrats for Europe to form a joint list for the2001 general election, under the leadership of Rutelli, who was also The Olive Tree's "candidate for Prime Minister". The list, which gained a considerable success (14.5%), was transformed into a party in March 2002 under the name ofDemocracy is Freedom – The Daisy.[2] This party, led by Rutelli, would be eventually merged into theDemocratic Party in October 2007.[3]
Several party members were either formerChristian Democrats (Prodi, Parisi, Costa, Orlando, etc.), while several others were formerly affiliated to theItalian Republican Party (Maccanico, Bianco, etc.). The ideology of the party thus ranged from Prodi's "social Catholicism" to Rutelli's and the former Republicans'social liberalism, Di Pietro'spopulism andsocial democracy. At the European level, The Democrats were affiliated to theEuropean Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.
The party was fervently "Olivist" (that is to say interested in the creation of a more united centre-left and, possibly, a joint centre-left party) andEuropeanist, while also favouring the establishment of atwo-party system. The name and symbol of the party were a direct reference to theDemocratic Party of theUnited States.[3]
| Chamber of Deputies | ||||||
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/− | Leader | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | InDemocracy is Freedom – The Daisy | 23 / 630 | – | |||
| Senate of the Republic | ||||||
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/− | Leader | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Inthe Olive Tree | 9 / 315 | – | |||
| European Parliament | |||||
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/− | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2,402,435 (5th) | 7.7 | 6 / 87 | – | |
