United Christian Democrats
Encyclopedia
The United Christian Democrats was a Christian democratic
party in Italy.
's Forza Italia
. The split was led by Rocco Buttiglione
(secretary of the Italian People's Party in 1994-95), Roberto Formigoni
and Gianfranco Rotondi
.
The party formed a joint list with Forza Italia in 1995 regional elections and Roberto Formigoni
was elected president of Lombardy
, while in 1996 it formed an alliance with the Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) for the general election, in which CCD-CDU scored 5.6%.
In June 1998, Buttiglione led the party into the Democratic Union for the Republic
(UDR), a new Christian democratic outfit launched by Francesco Cossiga
and Clemente Mastella
, who had left CCD to form the Christian Democrats for the Republic
(CDR). In October, when Buttiglione briefly decided to support the centre-left
government of Massimo D'Alema
, alongside with the rest of UDR, Roberto Formigoni
, Raffaele Fitto
, Maurizio Lupi and many regional deputies in Veneto
, Lombardy
and Piedmont
left the party to form the Christian Democrats for Freedom
, which was later merged into Forza Italia.
In February 1999, UDR split between those who supported Cossiga, who formed the Union for the Republic
, and those who supported Mastella, who formed the Union of Democrats for Europe. Buttiglione re-established CDU as a separate party and started to get closer again to Berlusconi's centre-right.
In 1999 European Parliament elections, CDU scored 2.2% and elected two MEPs, while in 2001 it formed an alliance with CCD, the known as the Whiteflower
, gaining 3.2%.
In 2002 the United Christian Democrats, the Christian Democratic Centre and European Democracy
merged into the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats. Rocco Buttiglione was elected President of the new party.
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...
party in Italy.
History
It began in 1995 by a split of those members of the Italian People's Party who wanted to enter into an alliance with Silvio BerlusconiSilvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
's Forza Italia
Forza Italia
Forza Italia was a liberal-conservative, Christian democratic, and liberal political party in Italy, with a large social democratic minority, that was led by Silvio Berlusconi, four times Prime Minister of Italy....
. The split was led by Rocco Buttiglione
Rocco Buttiglione
Rocco Buttiglione is an Italian Christian Democrat politician and an academic.His nomination for a post as European Commissioner with a portfolio that was to include civil liberties, resulted in controversy as some political groups opposed him for his Roman Catholic views on homosexuality, despite...
(secretary of the Italian People's Party in 1994-95), Roberto Formigoni
Roberto Formigoni
Roberto Formigoni is an Italian politician, and the current President of Lombardy Region, Italy.-Life and career:Graduated in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Milan, he studied political economy at the Sorbonne, in Paris....
and Gianfranco Rotondi
Gianfranco Rotondi
Gianfranco Rotondi is an Italian politician, and the current leader of the Christian Democracy for Autonomies since June 2005.- Biography :Rotondi was born in Avellino, Campania....
.
The party formed a joint list with Forza Italia in 1995 regional elections and Roberto Formigoni
Roberto Formigoni
Roberto Formigoni is an Italian politician, and the current President of Lombardy Region, Italy.-Life and career:Graduated in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Milan, he studied political economy at the Sorbonne, in Paris....
was elected president of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, while in 1996 it formed an alliance with the Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) for the general election, in which CCD-CDU scored 5.6%.
In June 1998, Buttiglione led the party into the Democratic Union for the Republic
Democratic Union for the Republic
The Democratic Union for the Republic was a short-lived centrist political party in Italy.It was founded in February 1998 by Francesco Cossiga, Clemente Mastella , Rocco Buttiglione , Mario Segni The Democratic Union for the Republic (Unione Democratica per la Repubblica, UDR) was a short-lived...
(UDR), a new Christian democratic outfit launched by Francesco Cossiga
Francesco Cossiga
Francesco Cossiga was an Italian politician, the 43rd Prime Minister and the eighth President of the Italian Republic. He was also a professor of constitutional law at the University of Sassari....
and Clemente Mastella
Clemente Mastella
Mario Clemente Mastella is an Italian politician. He is currently leader of Popular-UDEUR, a minor centrist Italian party. He was Minister of Labour in the Berlusconi government from 10 May 1994 to 17 January 1995, and Minister of Justice in the Prodi government from 17 May 2006 to 17 January 2008...
, who had left CCD to form the Christian Democrats for the Republic
Christian Democrats for the Republic
The Christian Democrats for the Republic was a Christian-democratic Italian political party.The party was formed in February 1998 as a splinter group from the Christian Democratic Centre...
(CDR). In October, when Buttiglione briefly decided to support the centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
government of Massimo D'Alema
Massimo D'Alema
Massimo D'Alema is an Italian politician. He is also a journalist and a former national secretary of the Democratic Party of the Left...
, alongside with the rest of UDR, Roberto Formigoni
Roberto Formigoni
Roberto Formigoni is an Italian politician, and the current President of Lombardy Region, Italy.-Life and career:Graduated in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Milan, he studied political economy at the Sorbonne, in Paris....
, Raffaele Fitto
Raffaele Fitto
Raffaele Fitto is an Italian politician, current Minister for Regional Business in Berlusconi IV Cabinet.-Biography:Raffaele Fitto was born in Maglie, Province of Lecce. His father, Salvatore Fitto, who was an exponent of the Christian Democracy and President of Apulia from 1985, died in...
, Maurizio Lupi and many regional deputies in Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
and Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
left the party to form the Christian Democrats for Freedom
Network Italy
Network Italy is a Christian-democratic faction within The People of Freedom , a political party in Italy. It is composed of followers of Roberto Formigoni, a party bigwig who is currently President of Lombardy...
, which was later merged into Forza Italia.
In February 1999, UDR split between those who supported Cossiga, who formed the Union for the Republic
Union for the Republic (Italy)
The Union for the Republic was a centrist Italian political party.It was formed by Francesco Cossiga and his followers after the break-up of the Democratic Union for the Republic in 1999. Most of its members, with the notable exception of Carlo Scognamiglio Pasini, joined Forza Italia prior to the...
, and those who supported Mastella, who formed the Union of Democrats for Europe. Buttiglione re-established CDU as a separate party and started to get closer again to Berlusconi's centre-right.
In 1999 European Parliament elections, CDU scored 2.2% and elected two MEPs, while in 2001 it formed an alliance with CCD, the known as the Whiteflower
Whiteflower
Whiteflower was an informal name given to political alliance of two christian-democratic Italian parties for the 2001 general election, namely:*Christian Democratic Centre...
, gaining 3.2%.
In 2002 the United Christian Democrats, the Christian Democratic Centre and European Democracy
European Democracy
European Democracy was a minor christian-democratic Italian political party.It was founded in 2000 by Sergio D'Antoni , Giulio Andreotti and Ortensio Zecchino, all three spliters from the Italian People's Party...
merged into the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats. Rocco Buttiglione was elected President of the new party.
Leadership
- Secretary: Rocco ButtiglioneRocco ButtiglioneRocco Buttiglione is an Italian Christian Democrat politician and an academic.His nomination for a post as European Commissioner with a portfolio that was to include civil liberties, resulted in controversy as some political groups opposed him for his Roman Catholic views on homosexuality, despite...
(1995–2002) - President: Roberto FormigoniRoberto FormigoniRoberto Formigoni is an Italian politician, and the current President of Lombardy Region, Italy.-Life and career:Graduated in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Milan, he studied political economy at the Sorbonne, in Paris....
(1995–1998), Mario Tassone (1998–2002)