Democrats of the Left

The Democrats of the Left (Italian Democrats of the Sinistra, DS) was the largest Italian party of the center-left coalitions The Olive ( Olive Tree ') and L' Unione. It can be described as a social democratic party, individual fractions saw themselves as democratic socialists, liberals or Christian Socialists. It was founded in 1991 under the name Democratic Party of the Sinistra (PDS ), thus following the post-communist transformation of the old Partito Comunista Italiano ( PCI) to a moderate Left Party. The factions who wanted to remain faithful to communism, seceded from the Partito della Refoundation. 1998 emerged the DS as a merger of the PDS with some minor links groups such as the Christian socialists, the Workers' Party and the United Communists.

On 13 February 1998, the konstitutierende meeting of the new party national leadership of the Left took place, attended by the following organizations:

First Secretary was Achille Occhetto, who gave up his job in 1994 after the party was defeated in the elections. He was replaced by Massimo D' Alema and later by Walter Veltroni. Last party leader until 2007 was Piero Fassino.

As part of The Olive Alliance Party from 1996 to 2001 at the government. Massimo D' Alema was 1998-2000 Prime Minister of Italy. On 17 May 2006 she returned to the government. D' Alema was Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Romano Prodi.

Following the decision of the Fourth Party Congress ( April 19 to 21 2007) DS went with the Christian Democratic Party La Margherita and other groups of the center-left camp on 14 October 2007 in the newly created Democratic Party ( Partito Democratico ) on its first chairman Walter Veltroni was.

In the European Parliament was the DS, represented as part of the PES group, with twelve seats.

In South Tyrol, the name was The Left Democrats - Democrats of the Sinistra, where the party with Luisa Gnecchi was involved in the coalition of state government. Representatives of the Left Democrats were also in the city councils of the larger South Tyrolean villages. Party secretary was Christian Tommasini.

Party secretaries of the DS

Election results

  • Parliament elections in 1994: 20.4%, 125 seats
  • Parliamentary elections in 1996: 21.1%, 176 seats
  • Parliament elections in 2001: 16.6%, 137 seats
Democratic Party (Italy) Democratic socialism Social liberalism Social Christians Movement of Unitarian Communists Italian Socialist Party Christian Democracy (Italy) Italian Republican Party Italian general election, 1994 Italian general election, 1996 Italian general election, 2001
227040
de