Forza Europa (2017)

Forza Europa (translation: "Forward Europe", FE) is a liberal and pro-Europeanist political party in Italy.

Its leader is Benedetto Della Vedova, an economist and long-time Radical politician, who has been member of the European Parliament for the Bonino List (1999–2004), candidate for President of Lombardy (2000), president of the Italian Radicals (2001–2003), founder and president of the Liberal Reformers (2005–2009), member of the Chamber of Deputies for Forza Italia (2006–2008), The People of Freedom (2008–2011) and Future and Freedom (2011–2013), member of the Senate for Future and Freedom (2013), Civic Choice (2013–2015) and in the Mixed Group (2015–present), and undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Renzi Cabinet (2014–2016) and Gentiloni Cabinet (2016–present).

History

FE was originally launched as a pro European Union campaign during a convention in Milan in February 2017. The event saw the participation of leading public figures, including Mario Monti, Francesco Rutelli, Emma Bonino (leader of the Italian Radicals, who had recently parted ways from the Transnational Radical Party), Carlo Scognamiglio (leader of The Liberals), as well as some members of the Civics and Innovators group in the Chamber of Deputies (Gianfranco Librandi, Andrea Mazziotti and Stefano Dambruoso).^[1][2] The campaign soon became a structured association,^[3][4][5] with an active role played by Carmelo Palma and Piercamillo Falasca, who had been part of Della Vedova's inner circle since the years as a Radical, and possibly the embryo of a new liberal party, in alliance with the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).

In July 2017 FE organised a convention in Rome, which was seen as the beginning of its trasformation into a full-fledged party. The event was attended by Della Vedova, Bonino, Mazziotti, Librandi (who had recently joined the PD),^[6] Umberto Ranieri (who had previously been active with the PD) and, notably, Carlo Calenda, the independent-minded and non-partisan Minister of Economic Development.^{[7][8][9][10]} A month before, Della Vedova had introduced FE to the ALDE Party in Brussels,^[11] and, for their part, ALDE leaders had also been trying to unite FE, Civic Choice (SC), the Radicals and other left-leaning liberals, in order to build the Italian section of the ALDE Party,^[12] a goal they have long missed, most notably with the SC-dominated European Choice list in the 2014 European Parliament election (0.7% of the vote).

Leadership

• President: Benedetto Della Vedova (2017–present)

References

External links

• Official website

Political parties in Italy
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