Italian Liberal Party (1997) Explained

Italian Liberal Party
Native Name:Partito Liberale Italiano
Leader1 Title:Secretary
Leader1 Name:Roberto Sorcinelli
Leader2 Title:Deputy Secretary
Leader2 Name:Paolo Guzzanti
Giuseppe Zecchillo
Leader3 Title:President
Leader3 Name:Francesco Pasquali
Leader4 Title:Honorary President
Leader4 Name:Carlo Scognamiglio
Headquarters:Via Romagna 26, 00187 Rome, Lazio
Newspaper:Rivoluzione liberale
Split:Union of the Centre
Predecessor:Italian Liberal Party
Youth Wing:Italian Liberal Youth
Ideology:Liberalism
Position:Centre[1] to centre-right
National:
    Seats1 Title:Chamber of Deputies
    Seats2 Title:Senate
    Seats3 Title:European Parliament
    Seats4 Title:Regional Councils
    Country:Italy

    The Italian Liberal Party (Italian: Partito Liberale Italiano; PLI) is a minor liberal political party in Italy, which considers itself to be the successor of the original Italian Liberal Party (PLI), the Italian main centre-right liberal party that was active in different capacities from 1922 to 1994. Originally named the Liberal Party (Partito Liberale), the new PLI changed its name in 2004 and is not represented in the Italian Parliament.

    History

    Foundation and early years

    In July 1997 former members of the Italian Liberal Party (PLI) and, mostly, of the Union of the Centre (UdC), that is to say PLI's main successor, as well as some former Republicans formed the Liberal Party (PL). Most of its leading figures were also members of Forza Italia (FI): Stefano De Luca, Carlo Scognamiglio, Egidio Sterpa, Ernesto Caccavale, Luigi Caligaris and Guglielmo Castagnetti.[2] [3] [4] Scognamiglio was a former President of the Senate (1994–96), De Luca, Caccavale and Caligaris MEPs, while Sterpa would have been elected to the Chamber of Deputies for FI in 2001.

    In December 2004 the party was merged with other liberal groups and, as result, its name was changed to Italian Liberal Party (PLI), along with the claim of being the successor of the historical PLI, disbanded in 1994. At that point the party was completely enfranchised from FI and the centre-right House of Freedoms coalition, even though Sterpa continued to be a deputy within FI's parliamentary group.

    In the 2006 Italian general election the PLI shortly rejoined the House of Freedoms. Being present only in a few regions, it obtained 0.3% of the vote.

    Enlargement of the party

    In June 2007, during a party congress, the PLI reaffirmed its autonomy and De Luca was unanimously re-elected secretary. Additionally, some leading former Liberals joined (or re-joined) the party: Carlo Scognamiglio (PLD), Luigi Compagna (UDC) and Luciano Magnalbò (DLI/AN).

    For the 2008 general election the PLI tried to form an electoral pact with the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC),[5] but finally chose to run as a stand-alone list.[6] Running in a few constituencies, the party obtained 0.3% of the vote and no seats.

    In February 2009 the PLI held another congress. Arturo Diaconale, supported by Angelo Caniglia, a group of Liberal Reformers (including Marco Taradash, Emilia Rossi, Carlo Monaco and Pietro Milio) and other newcomers, presented his candidacy for secretary in opposition to De Luca, who was supported by the old guard and by Paolo Guzzanti, a dissenting member of Forza Italia and former Socialist.[7] De Luca was re-elected with the support of 73% of the delegates, Guzzanti was appointed deputy secretary and Scognamiglio president.[8] [9] Diaconale left the party and would later revive the Italian Liberal Right (DLI), along with Giuseppe Basini.

    In December 2010 Guzzanti left the party over personal problems with De Luca and became briefly engaged with the New Pole for Italy (NPI).[10] [11] [12] In March 2011 the party was joined by two former secretaries of the old PLI, Alfredo Biondi, who had represented FI in Parliament from 1994 to 2006, and Renato Altissimo.[13]

    Back in Parliament

    In 2011 the PLI was joined by Enrico Musso, a senator of The People of Freedom (PdL), who was soon appointed deputy secretary of party. Through Musso the party re-joined the NPI.

    In November 2011 five disgruntled deputies of the PdL (Roberto Antonione, Giustina Destro, Fabio Gava, Giancarlo Pittelli, who later left, and Luciano Sardelli) joined the party through the Liberals for Italy (LpI).[14] Another former member of the PdL, Angelo Santori, joined the "Liberals for Italy–PLI" sub-group in April 2012.[15]

    In March 2012, in the run-up of a congress, Scognamiglio, Biondi and Altissimo proposed Musso as new secretary and De Luca as president.[16] The proposal was not well received by the party's old guard and, not only De Luca was barely re-elected secretary, but Scognamiglio was replaced as president by Enzo Palumbo.[17] [18] In the 2012 municipal election in Genoa, Musso obtained 15.0% of the vote in the first round, as joint NPI candidate, and 40.3% in the run-off, losing to Marco Doria.[19]

    In November 2012, a group of deputies (Isabella Bertolini, Gaetano Pecorella, Giorgio Stracquadanio (who had left earlier), Franco Stradella and Roberto Tortoli) broke away from the PdL and formed Free Italy (IL).[20] [21] According to Bertolini, the reason for the split was the attitude of the PdL toward Mario Monti's government, as the party approved all government measures but at the same time bitterly contested them in public communication.[22] In December 2012 the LpI–PLI joined forces with IL and formed a 10-strong sub-group.[23]

    In the 2013 general election, the PLI ran with the wording "Liberals for Italy", getting 0.1% of the vote.

    In June 2013 Guzzanti re-joined the PLI[24] and was soon elected at the head of the party's national council.[25]

    In February 2014 several disillusioned members or former members of the party, including Altissimo, Biondi, Musso and Scognamiglio, plus Edoardo Croci, Giuliano Urbani and Alessandro Ortis, launched The Liberals as an alternative to the PLI,[26] but the new group acted more as think tank than an actual party.

    In the run-up of the 2014 European Parliament election the PLI joined the European Choice (SE) list, led by Civic Choice (SC).[27] This decision, strongly supported by De Luca, prompted Guzzanti to leave the party[28] and stand as candidate for the newly-reformed Forza Italia (FI),[29] [30] and eventually De Luca to step down as secretary.[31] [32]

    In October 2014, during a party congress, the PLI elected a new leadership, notably including Giancarlo Morandi as secretary, De Luca president and Daniele Toto, a former deputy of the PdL and Future and Freedom (FLI), coordinator.[33] [34] The day after the congress, the PLI mourned the death of Carla Martino, long-time president of the party, later honorary president and sister of FI's leading liberal Antonio Martino.[35] [36] In November Ivan Catalano, a dissident deputy of the Five Star Movement (M5S), joined the PLI, marking its return to Parliament.[37] [38] [39] A few months later, in March 2015, Catalano was expelled from the party for having joined the parliamentary group of SC.[40] [41]

    From centre to centre-right

    In the 2016 municipal election in Rome the PLI, which supported Giorgia Meloni of Brothers of Italy (FdI) for mayor, obtained 0.9% of the vote.[42]

    In December 2016 Cinzia Bonfrisco (ex-PSI/FI/PdL/FI/CoR) joined the PLI, giving it representation in the Senate.[43] [44]

    In May 2017 the party's congress re-elected Morandi and De Luca as secretary and president, respectively. Additionally, Scognamiglio and Basini were appointed honorary presidents.[45] Scognamiglio's election marked the return into the party of most of The Liberals, while Basini's the return of the "Liberal Right" or "National-Liberal" faction. Also in May, Bonfrisco was a founding member, along with Identity and Action (IdeA), of the moderate centre-right Federation of Freedom (FdL) group.[46]

    In the run-up of the 2018 general election the PLI officially joined the centre-right coalition, through an electoral agreement with Lega Nord (LN).[47] [48] [49] The LN, rebranded simply as "Lega", obtained 17.4% of the vote and two Liberals were elected from its slates: Basini to the Chamber and Bonfrisco to the Senate, both from Lazio.[50] Also De Luca stood as a candidate (he headed Lega's list in Naples),[51] but was not elected. Soon as in 2009 the PLI's alignment with the Lega was no longer fully clear, but Basini continued to sit within the party's group in the Chamber and Bonfrisco was elected to the European Parliament in the 2019 European Parliament election.[52] The PLI's congress was supposed to be held in late 2019,[53] but was later postponed.

    In March 2020 the congress was finally held. Secretary Morandi left the party a few days before the assembly was convened in Rome.[54] After the congress, the new leadership still included De Luca as president and Scognamiglio as honorary president, while those members who had been more involved in the alliance with the Lega, notably including the other incumbent honorary president, senator Basini, were no longer mentioned in the party's website. Morandi was replaced by a three-person secretariat, composed of Nicola Fortuna, Claudio Gentile and Roberto Sorcinelli.[55] Basini and Bonfrisco revived the DLI as an associate party of the LN and then of Lega per Salvini Premier (LSP).

    In July 2022 the party's council removed president De Luca and co-secretary Fortuna, who supported an electoral pact with Action, in order to pursue an alliance with the centre-right.[56] De Luca was replaced by Francesco Pasquali, while Sorcinelli became the party's sole secretary.[57] [58] De Luca deemed the conuncil's convocation and deliberation as illegitimate[59] and his associate Giulia Pantaleo, leader of the Italian Liberal Youth, tried to register the symbol of the PLI on De Luca's behalf:[60] the request was rejected in favour of Sorcinelli's PLI.[61] In the 2022 general election the PLI supported FI,[62] but former prosecutor Carlo Nordio, a leading member of the party,[63] was a successful candidate for the Brothers of Italy (FdI) in Veneto.[64] [63] A few days before the election, during a party congress, Sorcinelli and Pasquali were confirmed as secretary and president, respectively.[65]

    In June 2023 Guzzanti returned to the party and was appointed deputy secretary.[66]

    Leadership

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Amministrative 2021, il partito Liberale si presenta come forza di centro - IVG.it . February 2021 .
    2. Web site: Assemblea della Costituente del nuovo Partito Liberale. Radio. Radicale. 1 February 1997. Radio Radicale. 17 December 2022.
    3. http://www.radioradicale.it/scheda/92727/93058-dal-xxii-congresso-del-p-l-i-al-i-congresso-del-p-l-per-riunire-i-liberali-rinnovando-la-tradizione-c "Dal XXII Congresso del P.L.I. al I Congresso del P.L." (4/7/1997)
    4. Web site: LIBERALI: STERPA PRESIDENTE, DE LUCA SEGRETARIO DEL PARTITO. 5 July 1997. Adnkronos. 17 December 2022.
    5. Web site: La Segreteria Nazionale del PLI comunica quanto segue | Comunicati Stampa | Partito Liberale Italiano. https://web.archive.org/web/20080229043450/http://www.partitoliberale.it/page1/files/94fe9a8485937c01237d4359085d7eb9-226.html. dead. 29 February 2008. 17 December 2022.
    6. Web site: Pli Partito Liberale Italiano . Partitoliberale.it . 2011-06-12.
    7. Web site: L'ultima di Guzzanti: salverò il Pli . Lastampa.it . Jacopo Iacoboni . 2009-01-29 . 2011-06-12.
    8. Web site: Pli/ De Luca rieletto segretario Nazionale del Partito. 23 February 2009.
    9. Web site: Sito privato.
    10. Web site: Rivoluzione Italiana – Il blog di Paolo Guzzanti » Blog Archive » Ho sfiduciato SB secondo coscienza e ho abbandonato il PLI al suo destino piccino e provinciale. Vorrei che questo blog si trasformasse nella nuova casa dei liberali italiani . Paologuzzanti.it . 2010-12-14 . it . Paolo . Guzzanti . 2011-06-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110722045258/http://www.paologuzzanti.it/?p=1641 . 2011-07-22 . dead .
    11. Web site: Nasce il Polo della nazione . Archiviostorico.corriere.it . 2009-12-24 . 2011-06-12.
    12. Web site: Fini: dimissioni? Opzione che non esiste E Bossi invita ad "abbassare i toni" . Archiviostorico.corriere.it . 2009-12-24 . 2011-06-12.
    13. Web site: PLI: Il Consiglio Nazionale saluta il ritorno di Altissimo, Biondi e Musso « Partito Liberale Italiano . Partitoliberale.it . 2011-03-05 . 2011-06-12.
    14. Web site: Archivio Corriere della Sera.
    15. Web site: Italian Parliament . 12 April 2012 . 10 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120310081424/http://www.camera.it/217?idGruppo=472&idGruppoMisto=1169&tipoVis=2#g1169 . dead .
    16. Web site: Lettera Aperta Altissimo, Biondi, Scognamiglio. 25 February 2012.
    17. Web site: Congresso PLI, De Luca confermato Segretario Nazionale . 26 March 2012 .
    18. Web site: Lettera aperta ai liberali. 26 March 2012.
    19. Web site: Corriere.it - Amministrative 2012.
    20. Web site: Strappo PDL, nasce 'Italia libera': "Samorì? Più a sinistra di Ferrando". 22 November 2012.
    21. Web site: Crisi Pdl, 5 'fedelissimi' di Berlusconi se ne vanno e fondano 'Italia libera'. 22 November 2012. Quotidiano Nazionale. 17 December 2022.
    22. Web site: Addio al Pdl: Isabella Bertolini fonda Italia Libera. ModenaToday. 17 December 2022.
    23. Web site: Italian Parliament . 12 April 2012 . 22 October 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111022135640/http://www.camera.it/217?idGruppo=472 . dead .
    24. Web site: Direzione Nazionale del 13 giugno 2013. 13 June 2013.
    25. Web site: Consiglio Nazionale Liberale. 21 September 2013.
    26. Web site: LIBERALI: BIONDI ALTISSIMO SCOGNAMIGLIO e URBANI DANNO VITO a MOVIMENTO POLITICO - AgenParl - Agenzia Parlamentare per l'informazione politica ed economica . 2014-03-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140307214132/http://www.agenparl.it/articoli/news/politica/20140222-liberali-biondi-altissimo-scognamiglio-e-urbani-danno-vito-a-movimento-politico . 2014-03-07. dmy-all .
    27. Web site: Il PLI con l'ALDE. 18 April 2014.
    28. Web site: Archived copy . 2014-04-20. dmy-all . https://web.archive.org/web/20140421064434/http://www.paologuzzanti.it/?p=2110 . 2014-04-21 . dead .
    29. Web site: Forza Italia, oggi le liste. Sorpresa Cecchi Paone e Guzzanti - Politica - l'Unità - notizie online lavoro, recensioni, cinema, musica . 2014-04-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140419073552/http://www.unita.it/politica/europee-berlusconi-forza-italia-liste-candidati-ncd-alfano-fuoriusciti--1.564092 . 2014-04-19 . dead. dmy-all .
    30. Web site: Archived copy . 2014-04-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140421064256/http://www.paologuzzanti.it/?p=2119 . 2014-04-21. dmy-all . dead .
    31. Web site: Il mio saluto ai liberali italiani. 23 April 2014.
    32. Web site: Consiglio Nazionale del 12.04.2014. 13 April 2014.
    33. Web site: CONCLUSI I LAVORI DEL XXIX CONGRESSO NAZIONALE DEL PLI. Partito Liberale Italiano. dead. dmy-all . https://web.archive.org/web/20141011134405/http://www.partitoliberale.it/10480/comunicati/10480.html . 2014-10-11.
    34. Web site: Pli: Giancarlo Morandi Riconfermato Segretario Nazionale del Partito | Agenparl Agenparl. https://web.archive.org/web/20141011013023/http://www.agenparl.com/?p=101031. dead. 11 October 2014.
    35. Web site: Carla, i liberali non ti dimenticheranno Partito Liberale Italiano . www.partitoliberale.it . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141011191520/http://www.partitoliberale.it/10490/comunicati/carla-i-liberali-non-ti-dimenticheranno.html . 2014-10-11. dmy-all.
    36. Web site: Antonio Martino, in piedi, accanto al padre e alla sorella Carla, di spalle, in occasione del saggio di equitazione a villa Borghese - piano americano - Fondo VEDO - Scheda fotografica - Istituto Luce - Cinecittà - Senato della Repubblica .
    37. Web site: L'On. Ivan Catalano ha aderito al PLI Partito Liberale Italiano . www.partitoliberale.it . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924064716/http://www.partitoliberale.it/10757/comunicati/lon-ivan-catalano-ha-aderito-al-pli.html . 2015-09-24.
    38. Web site: Articolo dall'Archivio Storico.
    39. Web site: Il Partito Liberale Italiano ritorna in Parlamento: Intervista a Ivan Catalano, vicepresidente della Commissione Trasporti della Camera. 23 November 2014.
    40. Web site: L'On. Catalano non è più deputato del PLI Partito Liberale Italiano . www.partitoliberale.it . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150407002355/http://www.partitoliberale.it/11528/comunicati/lon-catalano-non-e-piu-un-deputato-del-pli.html . 2015-04-07.
    41. Web site: Il PLI espelle Catalano (Entrato in Scelta Civica) e Facchettin (FVG) chiede il bastone di comando. 3 April 2015.
    42. Web site: Comune di Roma - Lazio - Elezioni Comunali - Risultati - Ballottaggio - 5 giugno 2016.
    43. http://www.partitoliberale.it/13515/comunicati/liberali-ritornano-al-senato.html Liberali ritornano al Senato
    44. Web site: Direzione Nazionale: la senatrice Bonfrisco si iscrive al PLI - Partito Liberale Italiano . www.partitoliberale.it . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161222034746/http://www.partitoliberale.it/13566/attivita-del-pli/direzione-nazionale-la-senatrice-bonfrisco-si-iscrive-al-pli.html . 2016-12-22. dmy-all.
    45. Web site: Speciale 30° Congresso Nazionale - Partito Liberale Italiano . www.partitoliberale.it . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170809193329/https://www.partitoliberale.it/14244/attivita-del-pli/comunicato-del-30-congresso-nazionale.html . 2017-08-09.
    46. Web site: Composizione del Gruppo cs.dizioneGruppo nella. Senato.it.
    47. Web site: LEGA * ELEZIONI: "RAGGIUNTO l'ACCORDO CON IL PARTITO LIBERALE ITALIANO" - Agenzia giornalistica Opinione. Quotidiano on-line notizie dal Trentino. 31 January 2018 .
    48. Web site: I liberali e la Lega. 8 February 2018.
    49. Web site: Perché i liberali di destra. 10 March 2020.
    50. Web site: I liberali tornano ad essere eletti in Parlamento Partito Liberale Italiano . www.partitoliberale.it . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180310211450/https://www.partitoliberale.it/15798/attivita-del-pli/i-liberali-tornano-ad-essere-eletti-in-parlamento.html . 2018-03-10. dmy-all.
    51. Web site: Elezioni: Candidati in Campania, presentate liste M5s e FI e LeU | Politica | Metropolis . https://web.archive.org/web/20180214014522/http://www.metropolisweb.it/news/elezioni-candidati-in-campania-presentate-liste-m5s-e-fi-e-leu/34207.html . 14 February 2018 . dead.
    52. Web site: Con Borchia e Zullo eletta in Europa anche la Bonfrisco. Società Athesis. S.p.A. Società Athesis. S.p.A. 28 May 2019. L'Arena.it. 17 December 2022.
    53. Web site: Congresso Nazionale - 29,30 novembre e 1 dicembre 2019 - Partito Liberale Italiano . www.partitoliberale.it . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200924140047/https://www.partitoliberale.it/17014/attivita-del-pli/congresso-nazionale-2930-novembre-e-1-dicembre-2019.html . 2020-09-24. dmy-all.
    54. Web site: Una prova di resistenza della democrazia - Partito Liberale Italiano . www.partitoliberale.it . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200813030053/https://www.partitoliberale.it/17332/attivita-del-pli/una-prova-di-resistenza-della-democrazia.html . 2020-08-13. dmy-all.
    55. Web site: Struttura nazionale .
    56. Web site: "Mai con Calenda e con la sinistra. Per colpa sua uno scontro interno al Pli" . August 2022 .
    57. Web site: Elezioni, PLI, Pasquali nuovo presidente. Al segretario Sorcinelli compito interlocuzioni. Passa linea mai sinistra . 30 July 2022 .
    58. Web site: Terremoto Nel Partito Liberale: Sfiducia a De Luca e Fortuna, Sorcinelli Segretario Con Pieni Poteri. Apertura al Centrodestra . 30 July 2022 .
    59. Web site: E se al Viminale il simbolo del Pli finisse due volte in bacheca? . 6 August 2022 .
    60. Web site: Elezioni politiche 2022: i simboli uno per uno . 12 August 2022 .
    61. Web site: Simboli, l'Ufficio elettorale nazionale rigetta tutte le opposizioni .
    62. Web site: Elezioni: Sorcinelli a Calenda, giù mani da simbolo e storia Pli . 22 September 2022 .
    63. Web site: Struttura nazionale - Partito Liberale Italiano . Partitoliberale.it . 2022-08-28.
    64. Web site: Fdi presenta le liste. Fra i nomi Pera, Nordio e Tremonti . Tfnews.it . 2022-08-22 . 2022-08-28. dmy-all.
    65. Web site: Pli, Concluso Il Xxxii Congresso. Confermati Sorcinelli Alla Segreteria Nazionale e Pasquali Alla Presidenza . 23 September 2022 .
    66. Web site: Paolo Guzzanti, Il Grande Ritorno . 3 July 2023 .

    This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Italian Liberal Party (1997)".

    Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.