Action (Italy)

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Action
Azione
LeaderCarlo Calenda
Founded18 January 2019 (2019-01-18)
(We Are Europeans)
21 November 2019 (2019-11-21)
(Action)
Split fromDemocratic Party
HeadquartersVia Poli 3, Rome
Membership (2020)17,000[1]
IdeologySocial liberalism[2]
Progressivism[3][4]
Pro-Europeanism[5]
Political positionCentre[6] to centre-left[7][8][9]
European Parliament groupProgressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (2019–2021)
Renew Europe (2021–)
Colours  Blue   Green
Chamber of Deputies
2 / 630
Senate
1 / 315
European Parliament
1 / 73
Regional Councils
4 / 897
Website
www.azione.it

Action (Italian: Azione, abbr. A or Az), previously known as We Are Europeans (Italian: Siamo Europei, SE), is a social-liberal and progressive political party in Italy, launched in September 2019.[10] Its leader is Carlo Calenda, a member of the European Parliament within the group of Renew Europe and former Minister of Economic Development (2016–2018).[11]

Calenda has described his party as "anti-populist" and "anti-souverainist".[12][13][14]

History[]

In the aftermath of the 2018 general election Calenda, who had been a candidate for Civic Choice in 2013 and had served in various capacities the three governments of the 2013–2018 term, chose to join the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).[15]

In January 2019 Calenda launched a political manifesto named "We Are Europeans", with the aim of creating a joint list composed of the PD and other progressive and pro-Europeanist parties for the upcoming European Parliament election.[16] His proposal was welcomed by new PD's leader, Nicola Zingaretti, but rejected by the other parties within the centre-left coalition, like More Europe and Italia in Comune, which decided not to join the alliance.[17]

Carlo Calenda in 2019

In the run-up to the European election, Zingaretti and Calenda presented a special logo including a large reference to "We Are Europeans" and the symbol of the Party of European Socialists.[18] Additionally, they forged an alliance with Article One, a party established in 2017 by splinters from the PD led by Pier Luigi Bersani.[19]

In the election, the PD gained 22.7% of the vote, coming second after the League.[20] Calenda, who ran in the North-East constituency, was elected by receiving more than 270,000 votes, thus becoming the most voted candidate of the list.[21]

In August 2019 tensions grew within the coalition supporting the Giuseppe Conte's first government, leading to the issuing of a motion of no-confidence by the League.[22] During the following government crisis, the national board of the PD officially opened to the possibility of forming a new cabinet in a coalition with the M5S,[23] based on pro-Europeanism, green economy, sustainable development, fight against economic inequality and a new immigration policy.[24] The party also accepted that Conte might continue at the head of a new government,[25] and on 29 August President Mattarella formally invested Conte to do so.[26] Calenda strongly opposed the new government, stating the PD had renounced any representation of "reformists",[27] so it became necessary to found a "liberal-progressive" movement.[28] Calenda left the PD and on 5 September 2019, while Conte's second government was sworn in, and officially announced the transformation of SE into a full-fledged party.[29]

On 10 September Matteo Richetti, a prominent senator of the PD and formerly a close associate of Matteo Renzi, announced his abstention from the vote of confidence on the new government and his subsequent exit from the party.[30] He stated that he would join forces with Calenda.[31]

In November 2019 the new party was officially launched as "Action".[32] After a few months, Calenda launched the "Action Groups", the party's local sections.[33]

In August 2020 two deputies joined Action: former minister Enrico Costa, who left Forza Italia,[34] and , a former member of the Five Star Movement (M5S).[35]

In November 2020, deputies and senators affiliated with Action formed joint sub-groups in the Mixed Groups together with More Europe (+Eu) both in the Chamber and in the Senate. The sub-group in the Chamber counted four deputies, the one in the Senate three senators.[36][37]

In March 2021 Carlo Cottarelli, a former director of the International Monetary Fund, was chosen by Az, +Eu, the Italian Republican Party (PRI), the Liberal Democratic Alliance for Italy (ALI) and The Liberals to head of a scientific committee designed to elaborate of a joint political program.[38][39][40]

In November 2021, Calenda left the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament to join Renew Europe, primarily in opposition to the proposed adhesion of the populist M5S to the S&D group.[41]

Electoral results[]

Regional Councils[]

Region Election year Votes % Seats +/−
Emilia-Romagna 2020 into BP –
1 / 50
–

Leadership[]

Symbols[]

  • Action logo

  • Action logo until 26 oct 2021

  • Old Action logo in inverted colors

  • We Are Europeans logo

References[]

  1. ^ "Questo partito di Carlo Calenda". Il Post (in Italian). 12 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Calenda: "Perché ora serve una forza liberale"". Partito Democratico. June 13, 2019.
  3. ^ "Calenda lancia il suo movimento liberal-progressista". September 5, 2019.
  4. ^ https://amp.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/calenda-lancia-azione-suo-nuovo-partito-liberal-progressista-1787933.html
  5. ^ "Ecco il manifesto di Calenda per le elezioni europee". www.ilfoglio.it.
  6. ^ "Questo partito di Carlo Calenda". Il Post. September 12, 2020.
  7. ^ Calenda lancia 'Azione', il nuovo partito di centrosinistra e riformista, AGR Press
  8. ^ I sondaggisti: «Azione» di Calenda parte dal 2%, Il Sole 24 Ore
  9. ^ https://europeelects.eu/italy/
  10. ^ "Calenda lascia il Pd e fonda il suo Movimento: "Serve una casa riformista"". Globalist.
  11. ^ "Calenda lancia nuovo movimento politico - Politica". Agenzia ANSA. September 5, 2019.
  12. ^ "Carlo Calenda lancia Azione contro populisti e sovranisti". rainews.
  13. ^ "Calenda lancia Azione, contro i populisti - Politica". Agenzia ANSA. November 21, 2019.
  14. ^ politica, Redazione (November 22, 2019). "Calenda presenta Azione, il suo nuovo partito: "Ecco il nostro fronte anti-populista"". Corriere della Sera.
  15. ^ "Calenda prende la tessera del Pd: "Abbiamo dato sensazione di essere élite"". Il Sole 24 ORE. 6 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Calenda lancia Manifesto "Siamo Europei", Aderiscono Martina e Gentiloni, diversi governatori e sindaci dem". L'HuffPost. January 18, 2019.
  17. ^ "Elezioni europee 2019, Pd e PiùEuropa correranno separati. Zingaretti: "Faremo due liste aperte alla società civile"". Il Fatto Quotidiano. March 12, 2019.
  18. ^ "Simbolo di unità. Nicola Zingaretti svela il logo Pd-SiamoEuropei". L'HuffPost. March 30, 2019.
  19. ^ "Il simbolo c'è, l'intesa con Mdp quasi (di R. F. Calvo)". L'HuffPost. March 29, 2019.
  20. ^ Online, Redazione (May 27, 2019). "Europee: chi ha vinto, chi ha perso e cosa succederà al governo italiano". Corriere della Sera.
  21. ^ "Europee, i candidati acchiappavoti. Calenda e Pisapia campioni di preferenze. Alla Lega 29 seggi, al Pd 19". Repubblica.it. May 27, 2019.
  22. ^ Horowitz, Jason (20 August 2019). "Italy's Government Collapses, Turning Chaos Into Crisis". The New York Times.
  23. ^ Giuffrida, Angela (20 August 2019). "Italian PM resigns with attack on 'opportunist' Salvini" – via www.theguardian.com.
  24. ^ "Governo, Zingaretti: "I 5 punti per trattare con il M5S. No accordicchi, governo di svolta"". Repubblica.it. 21 August 2019.
  25. ^ "Conte wins crucial support for new Italian govt coalition". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-08-28.
  26. ^ "Il Presidente Mattarella ha conferito l'incarico al Prof. Conte di formare il Governo". Quirinale (in Italian). Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  27. ^ Bordi, Roberto (5 September 2019). "Nasce il partito di Calenda: "Sarà un movimento aperto a tutti"". ilGiornale.it.
  28. ^ "Calenda lancia il suo "movimento liberal-progressista": "Tesseramento al via da dicembre"". September 5, 2019.
  29. ^ "Calenda anticipa Renzi e apre la scissione nel Pd: "Nuovo movimento liberal-progressista"". Today.
  30. ^ "Richetti verso l'addio al Pd, il senatore andrà nel Gruppo Misto". Tgcom24.
  31. ^ "Richetti dice No al governo, lascia il Pd e guarda a Calenda" (in Italian). Globalist. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  32. ^ "Matteo Richetti: "Azione non sarà un partito di centro, ma il vero polo progressista del Paese"". Fanpage.
  33. ^ Azione – Gruppi d'Azione, azione.it
  34. ^ "Il deputato Enrico Costa ha lasciato Forza Italia e si è unito ad Azione" (in Italian). Il Post. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  35. ^ Nunzio Angiola archivia M5s e passa con Calenda: è il secondo parlamentare per Azione, la Repubblica
  36. ^ "Nasce gruppo parlamentare comune Più Europa-Azione - Ultima Ora". Agenzia ANSA. November 17, 2020.
  37. ^ "Azione e Più Europa, centro di questi giorni". www.ilfoglio.it.
  38. ^ "Calenda, Bonino e Cottarelli: "La politica non finisce con Draghi"". 10 March 2021.
  39. ^ "Programma per l'Italia | Cosa farà il comitato di Cottarelli che mette insieme (Quasi) tutti i partiti liberaldemocratici". 11 March 2021.
  40. ^ "Le forze Libdem insieme per il "Programma per l'Italia": Il comitato presieduto da Cottarelli". 9 March 2021.
  41. ^ Calenda lascia gli S&D, 'oggi chiederò ingresso in Renew'

External links[]

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