| White Rose | |
|---|---|
| Secretary | Bruno Tabacci |
| President | Savino Pezzotta |
| Founded | 8 February 2008 |
| Headquarters | unknown |
| Newspaper | none |
| Membership | unknown |
| Ideology | Christian democracy, Centrism |
| International affiliation | none |
| European affiliation | none |
| European Parliament Group | none |
| Coalition | Union of the Centre |
| Website | |
| http://www.rosaperlitalia.it/ | |
| Politics of Italy Political parties Elections |
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The White Rose (Rosa Bianca), whose official name is Popular Civic Federative Movement (Movimento Federativo Civico Popolare), is a Christian-democratic and centrist political party in Italy.
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On 30 January 2008, Bruno Tabacci and Mario Baccini announced that they were quitting UDC in order to form a new centrist party. On 8 February the White Rose was officially launched.
Both Tabacci and Baccini are long-time critics of Silvio Berlusconi within the House of Freedoms, the coalition of which UDC was a member, and of the current political system itself, opposing any form of two-party system, presidentialism and plurality voting system, in favour of a system modelled on the German model.
The new outfit emerged in the aftermath of the fall of Prodi II Cabinet. Tabacci and Baccini wanted to support the formation of a government led by Franco Marini with the goal of a new electoral law on the German model. UDC leader Pier Ferdinando Casini decided instead to follow Silvio Berlusconi and the other leaders of the centre-right House of Freedoms coalition in their request of a fresh election as soon as possible, despite having supported an electoral law reform (based upon the German model) during the previous two years.[1][2]
Many leading figures entered the new party, notably Savino Pezzotta, former leader of the Italian Confederation of Workers' Trade Unions who was appointed President of the party, Gerardo Bianco and Alberto Monticone and their Popular Italy[3], former Minister Gian Guido Folloni, former Mayor of Parma Elvio Ubaldi, MEPs Gianni Rivera and Beniamino Donnici. Tabacci and Baccini tried to recruit Antonio Di Pietro and his Italy of Values[4], Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and Mario Monti[5], without being successful. There are rumors that Ciriaco De Mita, former leader of Christian Democracy, may soon join the party.
On 28 February the party decided that it will present joint-lists with UDC for the general election and it was hinted that Casini would be the joint-candidate for Prime Minister.[6] The two parties, united in the Union of the Centre, will finally merge in a single entity. On 11 March both Bianco and Monticone left the party and re-established Popular Italy. At the same time also Rivera and Donnici left the party.
In the 2008 general election the party won 5.6% together with UDC and got three deputies elected: Mario Baccini, Bruno Tabacci and Savino Pezzotta.
Soon after the election, on 5 May, Baccini surprisingly refused to join the group of the Union of Centre in the Chamber of Deputies. Baccini had also decided to support Gianni Alemanno of National Alliance in the second round of the race for Mayor of Rome[7] and Gianfranco Fini as President of the Chamber of Deputies.[8] On 14 May Baccini announced his vote of confidence to Berlusconi IV Cabinet and his resignation from Secretary of the party. On the same day Baccini was promptly replaced by Tabacci. After the exit of Baccini, the party is almost disbanded and acts as a faction within UDC.