European Liberal Democrats
Liberali Democratici Europei
AbbreviationLDE
SecretaryPiero Cecchinato
PresidentAndrea Marcucci
FoundersGiuseppe Benedetto
Alessandro De Nicola
Oscar Giannino
Sandro Gozi
Founded14 January 2023; 14 months ago (2023-01-14)
Headquarters
  • Via della Conciliazione, 10
  • 00193 Rome
IdeologyLiberalism
European federalism
Political positionCentre
European affiliationALDE Party
Colors  Blue and   Yellow
Chamber of Deputies
0 / 400
Senate
0 / 200
European Parliament
1 / 76
Website
libdemeuropei.it

The European Liberal Democrats (Italian: Liberali Democratici Europei, LDE) is a liberal political party in Italy.

History

On 14 January 2023, a liberal constituent assembly was held at the San Fedele Auditorium in Milan with the aim of bringing together all the Italian liberal parties for the next European elections. The event was organized by Giuseppe Benedetto, President of the Fondazione Luigi Einaudi, Sandro Gozi, MEP for Renew Europe, Alessandro De Nicola, President of the Adam Smith Society, and Oscar Giannino, former leader of Act to Stop the Decline. More than 40 speakers participated in the convention, including Carlo Calenda, Matteo Renzi, Benedetto Della Vedova, Marco Cappato, Luigi Marattin, and many others. At the end of the convention, the statute of the European Liberal Democrats Constituent was approved, to which the Liberal Democratic Alliance for Italy (ALI) and other minor parties and associations have joined, which explicitly provides for the creation of a single Italian liberal party, with the promotion of a democratic and competitive congress, that it will be the home of classical liberalism as well, and that it will have as its reference point the pursuit of the United States of Europe.[1][2][3][4]

On 30 January, the regional councillor of Lombardy, Gianmarco Senna, who had exited the Lega on 24 November 2022, joined the party.[5] During the 2023 Lombard regional election few candidates for the Regional Council, including Senna, ran in the lists of Letizia Moratti, then LDE endorsed Alessandro Maran's candidacy for the 2023 Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional election, and for the 2023 Italian local elections LDE supported Paolo Cianfoni's candidacy at Terni.[6][7][8]

After the breakup of the alliance between Action and Italia Viva, LDE confirmed they would keep working to establish a unitary liberal list for the upcoming European Parliament election.[9]

On 22 April Andrea Marcucci, the former leader of the Democratic Party (PD) in the Senate, left the PD due to disagreement with the political line traced by new secretary Elly Schlein and subsequently his entry in LDE, stating that his goal is to achieve a federation among liberal parties.[10][11]

LDE joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party as a full member on 21 October 2023.[12]

Composition

Parties Main ideology Leader(s)
Liberal Democratic Alliance for Italy (ALI) Liberism Flavio Pasotti

Furthermore, LDE comprises several small parties, movements, associations, and committees, such as Liberal Alternative, Liberal Building Site, Clubs Together for the South, Liberal Democratic Constituent Assembly, Italy-Atlantic Studies Centre, The House of the Liberals, LibDem, Liberal Moderates for Italy, European Liberal Democrats (registered by the Fondazione Luigi Einaudi in 2022[13]), Milanese Free Europeans, New Horizon Italy, XX September, Yourope, and Liberal Liberists.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Parte a Milano la costituente liberale per riunire tutti i riformisti". Linkiesta.it (in Italian). 14 January 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  2. ^ "L'incoraggiante incontro dei liberali a Milano che porterà alla fondazione di un partito unitario". Linkiesta.it (in Italian). 16 January 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Una Costituente libdem per uscire dal pantano del continuismo". www.ilfoglio.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Statuto". Liberali Democratici Europei (in Italian). Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  5. ^ Ferraris, Alissiia (30 January 2023). "Adesione Senna costituente liberali democratici europei". Liberali Democratici Europei (in Italian). Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Verso una Lombardia liberaldemocratica - Evento online con Letizia Moratti". Liberali Democratici Europei (in Italian). 31 January 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  7. ^ ""Una Regione da Oscar", i Liberali Democratici Europei incontrano Maran". TriestePrima (in Italian). Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Terni, elenco candidati Lista Alleanza degli Innovatori". umbriajournal.com (in Italian). 15 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  9. ^ Caterisano, Pasquale (18 April 2023). "LIBERAL DEMOCRATICI EUROPEI: continueremo a lavorare per questo progetto". Liberali Democratici Europei (in Italian). Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Marcucci lascia il Pd e guarda al Terzo polo: "Aderirò a Libdem Europei, lavoro per la federezione"". Fanpage (in Italian). Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  11. ^ Torchiaro, Aldo (2023-04-15). "Marcucci lascia il Pd ed entra nei Liberali e Democratici europei". Il Riformista (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  12. ^ https://www.aldeparty.eu/alde_party_council_welcomes_new_members_in_bucharest
  13. ^ Maestri, Gabriele. "Liberali Democratici Europei, un aspirante marchio o un futuro partito?". I Simboli della Discordia (in Italian). Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Home". Liberali Democratici Europei (in Italian). Retrieved 24 April 2023.

External links

Political parties in Italy
Categories