Big Bang (faction)
Encyclopedia
Big Bang is a centrist
, liberal
and modernizing movement within the Democratic Party
(PD), a political party in Italy.
The movement, which is not organized as a faction yet, grew around Matteo Renzi
, mayor of Florence
since 2009. Born in 1975, Renzi is a devout Catholic (he had been a scout leader of AGESCI
) and a Christian democrat
. He started his political career in the Italian People's Party and was elected president of the Province of Firenze in 2004, when he was just 29. Through Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy he joined the PD in 2007. A frequent critic of his party's leadership, especially under Pier Luigi Bersani
, Renzi made his name as "scrapper" (of old leaders and ideas), advocate of complete change in the party, reformer and modernizer.
After organizing a convention of "scrappers" in Florence in November 2010, Renzi repeated the event in November 2011 under the Big Bang name. Leading Democrats who took part to the convention included Sergio Chiamparino
, Arturo Parisi
, Graziano Delrio, Ermete Realacci, Andrea Marcucci and Roberto Giachetti, but most of the speakers were people from the civil society, mainly entrepreneurs, artists and intellectuals. Among the ideas expoused by Renzi and his fellow Big-Bangers, many were genuinely liberal for a party in which social democracy
is dominant: labour market flexibility
, abolition of professional bars, pension
reform and cuts in public sector
. This could be the platform for a Renzi's run for prime-ministerial candidate of the PD. Renzi's group was dubbed by some journalists as the party's "new right".
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
, liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and modernizing movement within the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
(PD), a political party in Italy.
The movement, which is not organized as a faction yet, grew around Matteo Renzi
Matteo Renzi
Matteo Renzi is an Italian politician. He was elected as Mayor of Florence on June 22, 2009 with 59.96% of the vote. In February 2011 he publicly called on all the Italian politicians of the Berlusconi era to retire, citing the fact that Berlusconi is only six years younger than Renzi's...
, mayor of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
since 2009. Born in 1975, Renzi is a devout Catholic (he had been a scout leader of AGESCI
Associazione Guide e Scout Cattolici Italiani
The Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani , founded in 1974, is a Catholic Guiding and Scouting association in Italy...
) and a Christian democrat
Christian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
. He started his political career in the Italian People's Party and was elected president of the Province of Firenze in 2004, when he was just 29. Through Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy he joined the PD in 2007. A frequent critic of his party's leadership, especially under Pier Luigi Bersani
Pier Luigi Bersani
Pier Luigi Bersani is an Italian politician and the current Secretary of the Democratic Party of Italy, the main center-left political party in Italy . He was Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftmanship from 1996 to 1999, Minister of Transports from 1999 to 2001, and Minister of Economic...
, Renzi made his name as "scrapper" (of old leaders and ideas), advocate of complete change in the party, reformer and modernizer.
After organizing a convention of "scrappers" in Florence in November 2010, Renzi repeated the event in November 2011 under the Big Bang name. Leading Democrats who took part to the convention included Sergio Chiamparino
Sergio Chiamparino
Sergio Chiamparino was the mayor of Turin, Italy from 2001 to 2011.A graduate in political sciences at the University of Turin, where he worked as a researcher until 1975, Chiamparino started his political career that same year as head of the Italian Communist Party in the Town Council of...
, Arturo Parisi
Arturo Parisi
Arturo Parisi is an Italian politician, leader of the Ulivist faction of the Democratic Party and four-time member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies...
, Graziano Delrio, Ermete Realacci, Andrea Marcucci and Roberto Giachetti, but most of the speakers were people from the civil society, mainly entrepreneurs, artists and intellectuals. Among the ideas expoused by Renzi and his fellow Big-Bangers, many were genuinely liberal for a party in which social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
is dominant: labour market flexibility
Labour market flexibility
Labour market flexibility refers to the speed with which labour markets adapt to fluctuations and changes in society, the economy or production.-Definition:In the past, the most common definition of labour market flexibility was the neo-liberal definition...
, abolition of professional bars, pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
reform and cuts in public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
. This could be the platform for a Renzi's run for prime-ministerial candidate of the PD. Renzi's group was dubbed by some journalists as the party's "new right".