Daisy-Democracy is Freedom
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Template:Infobox Italy Political Party
Daisy-Democracy is Freedom (full name in Italian: Democrazia è Libertà – La Margherita: 'Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy') is a political party in Italy. It is a centrist party consisting of the former Partito Popolare Italiano, Democratici and Rinnovamento Italiano. It ran for election in 2001 as an alliance and part of the Olive Tree Coalition. Later the constituent parties merged into one party. It combines liberal parties forces (like the old Democratici and Rinnovamento Italiano) with centrist christian democrats.
The party president is Francesco Rutelli, formerly Rome's Mayor. They are a liberal party and pro-European. Though part of the Olive Tree, which is usually associated with the Party of European Socialists, the Democratici were a member of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party, and the Partito Popolare Italiano was a member of the European People's Party. After the 2004 European elections the merged party decided not to become a member of either the ELDR or the EPP, but formed together with the French UDF the European Democratic Party. In the European Parliament the Margherita joined the group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.
In June 2005 the Margherita decided by majority they will no longer join All United in the Olive Tree federation of parties for the next general election, to be held in 2006. The party's decision caused heavy controversies, with rumours of divisions inside the party itself, then amplified by Rutelli's announcement of abstension from the referenda on artificial insemination held in June 12 and 13, in order to let the referenda themselves fail.
See also
- Liberalism
- Contributions to liberal theory
- Liberalism worldwide
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracy
- Liberalism and radicalism in Italy
- Christian democracy
External links
- Official web site (http://www.margheritaonline.it/)Template:Liberalparty-stub
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