Liberal Populars

Liberal Populars

Leader	Carlo Giovanardi
Founded	4 February 2008 (as a political party)
Headquarters	Piazza di Pietra, 26 00187 Rome
Newspaper	none
Membership	unknown
Ideology	Christian democracy
International affiliation	none
European affiliation	none
European Parliament Group	European People's Party–European Democrats
Coalition	People of Freedom
Website
http://www.popolariliberali.it
Politics of Italy Political parties Elections

The Liberal Populars (Popolari Liberali) was a Christian-democratic Italian political party that is currently a faction within the larger The People of Freedom (PdL).

History

The party emerged as a faction within the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC) in February 2007 and took the current name in October of that year. It is the group led by Carlo Giovanardi and Emerenzio Barbieri, who wanted closer ties with Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia and the other parties of the House of Freedoms coalition, including the Lega Nord. In the III national congress the candidacy of Giovanardi for the leadership was supported by the 13.8% of delegates.^[1] During a convention in Verona titled "Liberal Populars of UDC in the centre-right" (Popolari Liberali dell'UDC nel centrodestra),^[2] on 3–4 October 2007 Carlo Giovanardi named the faction "Liberal Populars", saying that the group may leave if UDC leaves the House of Freedoms.

When, on 18 November 2007, Berlusconi proposed the birth of The People of Freedom party, Giovanardi suddenly hinted that he may leave UDC and join the new party.^[3] That finally happened on 4 February 2008, citing that the 72% of UDC voters would be interested in voting the PdL.^[4] Soon after his decision and that of UDC to fight alone the election, many leading members of UDC, including Vito Bonsignore, Tomaso Zanoletti, Luigi Compagna, Giuseppe Galati, Francesco Lucchese, Alfredo Meocci and Francesco Massi, left to join Giovanardi, along with Riccardo Conti, previously switched to Middle-of-the-Road Italy.

On 3 April 2008, during a meeting in Milan,^[5] DCA announced an alliance within the new party with the Christian Democracy for Autonomies of Gianfranco Rotondi.^[6]

In the 2008 general election the party got two deputies and two senators elected to the Italian Parliament. Carlo Giovanardi joined the Berlusconi IV Cabinet as Under-Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office.

In 2009 the party was merged into the PdL and was converted into a faction.

References

External links

Italian political party factions

The People of Freedom	Christian democrats (Network Italy, Christopher Columbus, Pisaniani, Christian Democracy, Liberal Populars, Christian Reformists, Christian Populars) – liberal centrists (Liberamente, Tremontiani, Magna Carta, Dellutriani) – liberals (Countercurrent, Free Foundation, Popular Liberalism) – social democrats (Reformism and Freedom, We Reformers, New Italian Socialist Party, European Reformists) – liberal conservatives (Protagonist Italy, Foundation of Freedom, Open Space) – national conservatives (New Italy, Movement for Italy, Libertarian Right) – grassroots (Promoters of Freedom, Circles of Freedom, Clubs of Freedom, Circles of Good Government)

Democratic Party	Majority (Bersaniani, Dalemiani–Reformists and Democrats, Lettiani–360 Association, To the Left, Democrats Really, Democracy and Socialism, Social Christians) – Democratic Movement (Veltroniani, The Populars–Fourth Phase, Liberal PD, Democratic Ecologists, Theo-Dems) – Democratic Area (The Populars–Franceschiniani, Fassiniani, Serracchiani-Civati) – non-aligned (Big Bang, Change Italy, Ulivists, Together in the PD) – associate parties (Italian Radicals, Moderates for Piedmont)

Lega Nord	Bossiani–Magic circle – Maroniani – Calderoliani – Venetians – issue oriented groups (see Factions of Lega Nord)

Union of the Centre	Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (Casiniani – Tabaccini – Liberals and Christians) – Daisy Populars – White Rose – former PD and PdL members – minor parties

Future and Freedom	Generation Italy – National Area – Libertiamo

Communist Refoundation Party	Refoundation in Movement – Being Communists – The Ernesto – HammerSickle – Counter-current – To the Left with Refoundation recent splits (Communist Alternative Party – Communist Project/Communist Workers' Party – Critical Left – Refoundation for the Left/Movement for the Left)