Italian Democratic Socialist Party (2004)

For the historical party with the identical name, see Italian Democratic Socialist Party.
Italian Democratic Socialist Party
Partito Socialista Democratico Italiano
Secretary Renato D'Andria
Founded 9 January 2004
Split from Italian Democratic Socialists
Ideology Centrism
Social democracy
Political position Centre
Centre-left
National affiliation The Union (2006-2008)
Chamber of Deputies
0 / 630
Senate
0 / 315
Website
www.partitosocialistademocraticoitaliano.it
Politics of Italy
Political parties
Elections

The Italian Democratic Socialist Party (Italian: Partito Socialista Democratico Italiano, PSDI) is a political party in Italy founded in 2004 as the continuation of the historical PSDI of Giuseppe Saragat, so that the new PSDI numbers its congresses in perfect continuity with the old PSDI. The party retains some support locally in the South, especially in Apulia. In the 2005 Apulian regional election the party won 2.2% of the vote along with other two minor parties and got one deputy elected to the Regional Council. The party did not repeat itself five years later, when it was not even able to file a list.

History

The re-foundation of PSDI

At the end of 2003, several former members of the PSDI (who are initially converged in the Italian Democratic Socialists) reorganized the Italian Democratic Socialist Party. In January 2004 was celebrated the XXIV National Congress of the PSDI. Giogio Carta was named new Secretary and Antonio Cariglia was named Honorary President of the party. The legal continuity of the party was sanctioned by the Supreme Court of Cassation in 2004.

In the 2005 Apulian regional election the party won 2.2% of the vote along with other two minor parties and got one deputy elected to the Regional Council. The party did not repeat itself five years later, when it was not even able to file a list.

Legal dispute and split

In April 2006 Giorgio Carta was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in the general election and, subsequently, resigned as secretary in November. He was replaced by Renato D'Andria, whose election was contested by many members of the party (including Carta) on the basis that it was rigged. The new secretary consequently ousted all the members who contested his election (including Carta) from the party.

In April 2007 a tribunal in Rome sided with the former leadership and declared invalid both the election of D'Andria as secretary and the XVII Congress of the party, which confirmed him as leader in January. The party was led ad interim by Carta, until the Congress of October 2007 (the XVII, though that of January was declared invalid) elected Mimmo Magistro as new secretary. D'Andria, who continued to consider himself to be the legitimate leader of PSDI, launched in June his Party of Democratic Reformers (PRD), open to "socialists, Christians, radicals, liberals, republicans and greens".

2008 general election

For the 2008 general election PSDI tried to form an alliance with the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC), but finally it did not participate with the Union of the Centre coalition. Instead, on 29 March 2008, the National Committee proposed to its members and voters to vote according to their conscience, favouring those political forces which could stop the emerging two-party system.[1][2] Most regional sections, on the example of Tuscany, indicated to vote for the Socialist Party in the election of the Chamber of Deputies and for The Left – The Rainbow in the election of the Senate. Some regional sections made different indications, notably in Veneto and Lazio in favour of the Union of the Centre, in Lombardy in favour of The People of Freedom and in Sicily in favour of the Movement for Autonomy.

The possible recomposition

In July 2011 a tribunal in Rome declared Renato D'Andria legitimate secretary of the party.[3]

Magistro proposed a reconciliation between the two factions,[4] but D'Andria did not accept the conditions posed by him.[5] In mid November 2011, 28 members out of 31 of the outgoing National Council, including Magistro, thus left the PSDI in order to form a new party named The Social Democrats (iSD).[6] On 11 January 2012, on the 65th anniversary of the split of Palazzo Barberini, the PSDI and iSD organized a common event in remembrance of Giuseppe Saragat.[7] A recomposition of the two wings of the party may still be possible, but it has been made difficult also by the fact that D'Andria is keen on an alliance with the centre-right (three MPs of The People of Freedom – Massimo Baldini, Giancarlo Lehner and Paolo Russo – are quite close to the new PSDI),[8][9][10] while Magistro has aligned his SD with the centre-left.

Leadership

References

  1. ↑ DOCUMENTO APPROVATO ALL’UNIANIMITA’ DALLA DIREZIONE NAZIONALE IL 29 MARZO 2008 - SocialDemocraticiEuropei
  2. ↑ PSDI (Magistro) - Un voto utile a garantire il pluralismo parlamentare. SocialDemocraticiEuropei
  3. ↑ "PSDI – Il Tribunale di Roma dà ragione al Segretario Nazionale Renato d’Andria". Democrazia Socialista. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Nota di Mimmo Magistro". SocialDemocraticiEuropei. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Convocazione Direzione Nazionale". SocialDemocraticiEuropei. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "Nasce "I Socialdemocratici – Federalisti Per L’Euromediterraneo" (Isd)". SocialDemocraticiEuropei. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Auguri...". SocialDemocraticiEuropei. 26 December 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "Rinasce il Psdi e punta al quarto Polo publisher=Partito Socialista Democratico Italiano". Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "Il Psdi "rinasce" dopo otto anni, d’Andria guiderà il partito". Partito Socialista Democratico Italiano. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  10. ↑ "PSDI: un Quarto Polo anti-casta che nasce nel segno dell’unità". Partito Socialista Democratico Italiano. Retrieved 5 December 2013.

External links