Misplaced Pages

List of political parties in Italy

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Scia Della Cometa (talk | contribs) at 10:12, 12 June 2021 (Active parties: Tables for the national parties). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 10:12, 12 June 2021 by Scia Della Cometa (talk | contribs) (Active parties: Tables for the national parties)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Misplaced Pages list article
Part of the Politics series
Politics of Italy
Constitution
Head of state
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Constitutional institutions
Constituent entities
Elections, referendums
Foreign relations
Related topics
icon Politics portal

This article contains a list of political parties in Italy since its unification.

Throughout history, numerous political parties have been operating in Italy, and since World War II no party has ever gained enough support to govern alone: parties thus form political alliances and coalition governments.

In the 2018 general election three groupings obtained most of the votes and most of the seats in the two houses of the Italian Parliament: a centre-right coalition, composed of the League, Forza Italia, the Brothers of Italy and minor allies; the anti-establishment Five Star Movement; a centre-left coalition, composed of the Democratic Party and minor allies.

Coalition of parties for regional elections can be slightly different from those for general elections, due to different regional conditions (for instance, in some regions the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party are in coalition, but not in other ones) and the presence of several regional parties, some of which active only at regional level.

History

Between 1945 and 1994, Italian politics was dominated by two major parties: Christian Democracy, the main party of government, and the Italian Communist Party, the main opposition party. The other opposition party was the post-fascist Italian Social Movement. During its almost fifty years in government, Christian Democracy chose its coalition partners among four parties: the Italian Socialist Party, the Italian Democratic Socialist Party, the Italian Republican Party and the Italian Liberal Party.

For 46 consecutive years, the Christian Democrats led the government except for five years. Between 1983 and 1991, they led a coalition government with the Socialists, the Republicans, the Democratic Socialists and the Liberals. That was the time when several northern regional parties demanding autonomy organised themselves at the regional level. In 1991 they federated themselves into the Northern League, which became the country's fourth largest party in the 1992 general election.

In 1992–94, the political system was shaken by a series of corruption scandals known collectively as Tangentopoli. These events led to the disappearance of the five parties of government. Consequently, the Communists, who had evolved to become Democratic Party of the Left in 1991, and the post-fascists, who launched National Alliance in 1994, gained strength. Following the 1994 general election, media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi became Prime Minister at the head of a coalition composed mainly of three parties: his brand-new party Forza Italia (joined by several members of the former mainstream parties), National Alliance and the Northern League.

Between 1996 and 2008, Italian political parties were organised into two big coalitions, the centre-right Pole for Freedoms (which was renamed House of Freedoms after the re-entry of the Northern League in 2000) and The Olive Tree (part of the new, broader coalition The Union in 2005) on the centre-left. The latter governed from 1996 to 2001 and again between 2006 and 2008, while the House of Freedoms was in government between 2001 and 2006. In 2008 The Union ceased to exist as the newly-founded Democratic Party decided to break the alliance with its left-wing partners, notably including the Communist Refoundation Party. On the centre-right, Forza Italia and National Alliance merged to form The People of Freedom, which continued the alliance with the Northern League and won the 2008 general election.

In the 2013 general election the party system was fragmented in four groupings: the centre-left composed of the Democratic Party and Left Ecology Freedom; the traditional centre-right alliance between The People of Freedom and the Northern League; Beppe Grillo's Five Star Movement; and a new centrist coalition around Mario Monti's Civic Choice. In November 2013 The People of Freedom was dissolved and merged into the new Forza Italia, provoking the split of the New Centre-Right. In December 2016 Left Ecology Freedom was dissolved in order to take part to the formation of Italian Left. In February 2017 splinters from the Democratic Party and Italian Left launched the Article One, while in March the New Centre-Right was transformed into Popular Alternative.

In the 2018 general election the major groupings were reduced to three: the centre-right composed of the League (which was the coalition's largest party for the first time), Forza Italia, Brothers of Italy and minor allies; the Five Star Movement (which was the most voted party); the centre-left composed of the Democratic Party and minor allies. Free and Equal, a new left-wing joint list whose main members were Article One and Italian Left, came a distant fourth.

Organisation

Conditions of admission

In order to be part of this list a party needs to have fulfilled at least one of the following conditions:

  • having scored more than 0.5% of the vote in a countrywide election (general/European);
  • having elected at least one MP/MEP with its own list in a countrywide election (general/European);
  • having been represented by at least two MPs/MEPs;
  • having scored more than 2% of the vote in a regional election;
  • having elected at least one regional councillor (provincial councillor in the cases of Trentino and South Tyrol) with its own list;
  • having been represented in at least three different Regional Councils (Provincial in the cases of Trentino and South Tyrol);
  • having had the 5% of the elects in a Regional Council (Provincial in the cases of Trentino and South Tyrol);
  • having had an Minister, or a President of Region, or a President of Province, or a Mayor of a city with more than 200,000 inhabitants.

Classification

The parties are classified as:

  • Major parties: parties having scored more than 4% in a countrywide election (general/European), or having at least 30 MPs or 5 MEPs;
  • Minor parties: parties that fulfil one of the other conditions;
  • Regional parties: minor parties active only in one Region (Province in the cases of Trentino and South Tyrol);
  • Parties of the Italians abroad: parties active only among Italians abroad.
  • Parliamentary groups: parliamentary groups formed by coalitions of parties and/or non-party independents.

Active major parties are those having scored between 4% and 20% in the latest countrywide election (general/European) or currently having at least 30 MPs or 5 MEPs.

Coalitions

In order to be part of this list a coalition needs to have garnered at least 10% in a general/European election.

Active parties

Major parties

Party Abbreviation Position Ideology Leader
bgcolor="Template:Five Star Movement/meta/color"| Five Star Movement
Movimento 5 Stelle
M5S Big tent Populism, Environmentalism, Direct democracy Beppe Grillo
bgcolor="Template:Lega Nord/meta/color"| Northern League
Lega Nord
League for Salvini Premier
Lega per Salvini Premier
LN
LSP
Right-wing to far right Federalism, Regionalism, Conservatism, Euroscepticism,
Nationalism, Right-wing populism
Matteo Salvini
bgcolor="Template:Democratic Party (Italy)/meta/color"| Democratic Party
Movimento 5 Stelle
PD Centre-left Social democracy, Social liberalism, Christian left, Progressivism.
Pro-Europeanism
Enrico Letta
style="background-color: Template:Forza Italia (2013)/meta/color"| Forward Italy
Forza Italia
FI Centre-left Liberal conservatism, Liberalism, Christian democracy, Populism Silvio Berlusconi
bgcolor="Template:Brothers of Italy/meta/color"| Brothers of Italy
Fratelli Italia
FdI Right-wing to far right National conservatism, Nationalism, Social conservatism, Euroscepticism,
Right-wing populism
Giorgia Meloni
bgcolor="Template:Italia Viva/meta/color"| Italy Alive
Italia Viva
IV Centre to centre-left Liberalism, Social liberalism, Pro-Europeanism Matteo Renzi
bgcolor="Template:Coraggio Italia/meta/color"| Courage Italy
Coraggio Italia
CI Centre to centre-right Liberal conservatism, Liberalism Luigi Brugnaro


Minor parties

Party Abbreviation Position Ideology Leader
Act!
Fare!
F! Centre-right Federalism, Liberalism Flavio Tosi
bgcolor="Template:Action (Italy)/meta/color"| Action
Azione
A Centre to centre-left Social liberalism, Progressivism, Pro-Europeanism Carlo Calenda
bgcolor="Template:Alliance of the Centre (Italy)/meta/color"| Alliance of the Centre
Alleanza di Centro
AdC Centre to centre-right Christian democracy Francesco Pionati
bgcolor="Template:Article One (political party)/meta/color"| Article One
Articolo Uno
Art.1 Centre-left to left-wing Social democracy, Green politics, Eco-socialism, Progressivism Roberto Speranza
Centrists for Europe
Centristi per l'Europa
CpE Centre Christian democracy, Pro-Europeanism Pier Ferdinando Casini
bgcolor="Template:Communist Party (Italy)/meta/color"| Communist Party
Partito Comunista
PC Far-left Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Anti-revisionism, Hard Euroscepticism Marco Rizzo
bgcolor="Template:Communist Refoundation Party/meta/color"| Communist Refoundation Party
Partito della Rifondazione Comunista
PRC Left-wing to far-left Communism, Left-wing populism, Soft Euroscepticism Maurizio Acerbo
bgcolor="Template:Democratic Centre (Italy)/meta/color"| Democratic Centre
Centro Democratico
CD Centre to centre-left Christian left, Social liberalism Bruno Tabacci
bgcolor="Template:Energies for Italy/meta/color"| Energies for Italy
Energie per l'Italia
EpI Centre to centre-right Liberalism, Federalism Stefano Parisi
bgcolor="Template:Federation of the Greens/meta/color"| Green Europe
Europa Verde
Federation of the Greens
Federazione dei Verdi
EV
FdV
Left-wing Green politics, Eco-socialism, Alter-globalization Angelo Bonelli
bgcolor="Template:CasaPound/meta/color"| House of Pound Italy
CasaPound Italia
CPI Far-right Neo-fascism, Ultra-nationalism, Hard Euroscepticism, Third Position, Souverainism, Anti-capitalism Gianluca Iannone
Identity and Action
Identità e Azione
IdeA Centre-right Christian democracy, Liberal conservatism Gaetano Quagliariello
bgcolor="Template:Italian Left/meta/color"| Italian Left
Sinistra Italiana
SI Left-wing Democratic socialism, Eco-socialism, Green politics Nicola Fratoianni
Italian Animalist Party
Partito Animalista Italiano
PAI N.D. Animal rights, Animal welfare, Environmentalism Cristiano Ceriello
bgcolor="Template:Italian Liberal Party (1997)/meta/color"| Italian Liberal Party
Partito Liberale Italiano
PLI Centre Liberalism Stefano De Luca
bgcolor="Template:Italian Republican Party/meta/color"| Italian Republican Party
Partito Repubblicano Italiano
PRI Centre Liberalism, Social liberalism Corrado De Rinaldis Saponaro
bgcolor="Template:Italian Socialist Party (2007)/meta/color"| Italian Socialist Party
Partito Socialista Italiano
PSI Centre-left Social democracy Enzo Maraio
bgcolor="Template:Italy of Values/meta/color"| Italy of Values
Italia dei Valori
IdV Centre to Left-wing Populism, Anti-corruption Ignazio Messina
bgcolor="Template:Italy in Common/meta/color"| Italy in Common
Italia in Comune
IiC Centre-left Green politics, Progressivism Federico Pizzarotti
bgcolor="Template:Cambiamo!/meta/color"| Let's Change!
Cambiamo!
C! Centre-right Liberal conservatism Giovanni Toti
Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democratici
LD Centre Liberalism Italo Tanoni
Moderates
Moderati
Mod. Centre to centre-left Christian democracy Giacomo Portas
bgcolor="Template:More Europe/meta/color"| More Europe
Più Europa
Italian Radicals
Radicali Italiani
+Eu
RI
Centre to Centre-left Pro-Europeanism, Liberalism, Social liberalism, Economic liberalism, European federalism Emma Bonino
bgcolor="Template:New Force (Italy)/meta/color"| New Force
Forza Nuova
FN Far-right Neo-fascism, Ultranationalism, Social conservatism, Euroscepticism Roberto Fiore
bgcolor="Template:New Italian Socialist Party/meta/color"| New Italian Socialist Party
Nuovo Partito Socialista Italiano
Nuovo PSI Centre Social democracy,
Liberalism
Stefano Caldoro
bgcolor="Template:Pensioners' Party (Italy)/meta/color"| Pensioners' Party
Partito Pensionati
PP Centre Pensioners' interests, Single issue politics Carlo Fatuzzo
bgcolor="Template:Popular Alternative/meta/color"| Popular Alternative
Alternativa Popolare
AP Centre Christian democracy, Liberal conservatism, Pro-Europeanism Paolo Alli
bgcolor="Template:Populars for Italy/meta/color"| Populars for Italy
Popolari per l'Italia
PpI Centre-right Christian democracy, Liberal conservatism Mario Mauro
bgcolor="Template:Possible (Italy)/meta/color"| Possible
Possibile
Pos Left-wing Progressivism, Social democracy, Environmentalism, Feminism, Secularism Beatrice Brignone
bgcolor="Template:Power to the People (Italy)/meta/color"| Power to the People
Potere al Popolo
PaP Far-left Communism, Democratic socialism, Left-wing populism, Libertarian socialism, Euroscepticism Giuliano Granato
Marta Collot
bgcolor="Template:Solidary Democracy/meta/color"| Solidary Democracy
Democrazia Solidale
DemoS Centre-left Christian left, Christian democracy, Pro-Europeanism Paolo Ciani
bgcolor="Template:L'Alternativa c'è/meta/color"| There is the Alternative
L'Alternativa c'è
Alt. N.D. Populism, Environmentalism, Euroscepticism Pino Cabras
bgcolor="Template:The People of Family/meta/color"| The People of Family
Il Popolo della Famiglia
PdF Centre Social conservatism, LGBT rights opposition, Anti-abortion, Familialism, Christian right Mario Adinolfi
bgcolor="Template:Tricolour Flame/meta/color"| Tricolour Flame
Fiamma Tricolore
FT Far-right Neo-fascism, Euroscepticism Attilio Carelli
bgcolor="Template:Union of the Centre (2002)/meta/color"| Union of the Centre
Unione di Centro
UDC Centre to centre-right Christian democracy, Social conservatism Antonio De Poli
bgcolor="Template:Us with Italy/meta/color"| Us with Italy
Noi con l'Italia
NcI Centre to centre-right Christian democracy, Liberal conservatism, Social conservatism, Liberalism Maurizio Lupi
bgcolor="Template:Workers' Communist Party (Italy)/meta/color"| Workers' Communist Party
Partito Comunista dei Lavoratori
PCL Far-left Communism, Anti-capitalism, Trotskyism, Anti-Stalinism Marco Ferrando

Regional parties

Aosta Valley
Piedmont
Lombardy
Trentino
South Tyrol
Veneto
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Emilia-Romagna
Liguria
Tuscany
Marche
Umbria
Campania
Apulia
Basilicata
Calabria
Sicily
Sardinia

Parties of Italians abroad

Parliamentary groups

Former parties

Former major parties

Former minor parties

Former regional parties

Aosta Valley
Piedmont
Lombardy
Liguria
Trentino
South Tyrol
Veneto
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Tuscany
Marche
Lazio
Molise
Campania
Apulia
Basilicata
Calabria
Sicily
Sardinia

Former parties of Italians abroad

Former parties having garnered at least 15% in one constituency in a general election or having been represented by at least one MP:

Former parliamentary groups

Parliamentary groups not directly connected to a political party or coalition of political parties:

Active coalitions

Former coalitions

See also

Political parties in Italy
Chamber of Deputies
Senate of the Republic
European Parliament
Other parties in Regional councils
Italy Historical political parties in Italy
Communist
Democratic socialist
Green
Social-democratic and liberal-socialist
Radical and social-liberal
Centrist and centrist liberal
Regionalist and federalist
Christian-democratic
Conservative-liberal
Liberal-conservative
National-conservative
Nationalist
Italy articles
History
Overview
By topic
Prehistory
Ancient
Middle Ages
Early modern
Late modern
Contemporary
Geography
Politics
Economy
Society
Culture
List of political parties in Europe
Sovereign states
States with limited
recognition
Dependencies and
other entities
Other entities
Categories: