Forza Europa (2017)

For the European Parliament group active between 1994 and 1995, see Forza Europa.
Forza Europa
PresidentBenedetto Della Vedova[1]
Vice PresidentAndrea Mazziotti
SecretaryPiercamillo Falasca
Founded31 July 2017 (2017-07-31)
IdeologyLiberalism
Pro-Europeanism
Political positionCentre
National affiliationMore Europe1
Website
www.forzaeuropa.it Edit this at Wikidata
1 Part of the centre-left coalition

Forza Europa (translation: "Forward Europe", FE) is a liberal and pro-Europeanist political party in Italy.

Its leader and president is Benedetto Della Vedova, an economist and long-time Radical politician, who has been member of the European Parliament for the Bonino List (1999–2004), candidate for President of Lombardy (2000), president of the Italian Radicals (2001–2003), founder and president of the Liberal Reformers (2005–2009), member of the Chamber of Deputies for Forza Italia (2006–2008), The People of Freedom (2008–2011) and Future and Freedom (2011–2013), member of the Senate for Future and Freedom (2013), Civic Choice (2013–2015) and the Mixed Group (2015–2018), and undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Renzi Cabinet (2014–2016) and Gentiloni Cabinet (2016–2018).

The party took part to the 2018 general election within More Europe (+E).

History

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FE was originally launched as a pro European Union campaign during a convention in Milan on 11 February 2017.[2] The event saw the participation of leading public figures, including Mario Monti, Francesco Rutelli, Emma Bonino (leader of the Italian Radicals, who had recently parted ways from the Transnational Radical Party), Carlo Scognamiglio (leader of The Liberals), as well as some members of the Civics and Innovators (CI) group in the Chamber of Deputies (Andrea Mazziotti, Gianfranco Librandi and Stefano Dambruoso).[3] The campaign soon became a structured association,[4][5][6] with an active role played by Piercamillo Falasca and Carmelo Palma, who had been part of Della Vedova's inner circle since the years as Radical.

In June 2017 Della Vedova introduced FE to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE Party) in Brussels,[7] and, for their part, ALDE leaders had also been trying to unite FE, Civic Choice (SC), the Radicals and other left-leaning liberals, in order to build the Italian section of the ALDE Party, a goal they have long missed, most notably with the SC-dominated European Choice list in the 2014 European Parliament election (0.7% of the vote).

In July 2017 FE organised a convention in Rome, which was seen as the beginning of its transformation into a full-fledged party. The event was attended by Bonino, Mazziotti, Librandi, Umberto Ranieri and Carlo Calenda (minister of Economic Development).[8][9][10][11]

In November 2017 FE, the Radicals and some CI members launched More Europe (+E), a pro-Europeanist list for the 2018 general election, led by Bonino.[12][13][14] +E was part of the centre-left coalition led by Matteo Renzi and the Democratic Party (PD). The list won 2.6% of the vote in the election, falling short of the 3% threshold, and no FE member was elected neither in single-seat constituencies (Della Vedova missed the election in the constituency of Prato, Tuscany for 1.5% of the vote).[15]

In April 2018 FE's first assembly elected Della Vedova president, Mazziotti vice president, Falasca secretary and Palma coordinator of the national board.[1]

In July 2018 +E started to organise itself as a full-fledged party. It was decided that a committee, presided by Gianfranco Spadaccia (a long-time Radical), would lead +E until the founding congress, scheduled for January 2019. The newly formed committee appointed Della Vedova as coordinator.[16]

Leadership

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Forza Europa: l'Assemblea elegge Della Vedova Presidente e Falasca Segretario". forzaeuropa.it. 22 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Forza Europa (Convention)". Radio Radicale. 11 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Forza Europa, Monti, Rutelli e Bonino a Milano con Della Vedova". Huffington Post. 11 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Della Vedova: "Vi spiego Forza Europa, radicali pro-Ue"". Dire. 4 May 2017.
  5. ^ Carretta, David (9 May 2017). "L'Ue è più timida dei neoeuropeisti entusiasti organizzati e in marcia". Il Foglio.
  6. ^ Signore, Adalberto (25 April 2017). "La bandiera europeista non è stata ammainata: solo Berlusconi l'ha capito". il Giornale.
  7. ^ "Calenda "benedice" il movimento europeista di Della Vedova". Huffington Post. 26 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Forza Europa, Della Vedova lancia il nuovo movimento con Calenda e Bonino". affaritaliani.it. 24 July 2017.
  9. ^ Carugati, Andrea (30 July 2017). "Debutta il partito "Forza Europa". Calenda si toglie l'abito da tecnico". La Stampa.
  10. ^ Postiglione, Alessio (31 July 2017). "Bonino e Calenda battezzano Forza Europa, il movimento degli europeisti radicali". Linkiesta.
  11. ^ Falasca, Piercamillo (28 July 2017). Formiche.net (ed.). "Chi e come dice Forza Europa in Italia - Formiche.net".
  12. ^ Carugati, Andrea (23 November 2017). "I radicali alle elezioni da soli: la nuova lista si chiamerà "+ Europa"". La Stampa.
  13. ^ Paudice, Claudio (23 November 2017). "Bonino vara +Europa e lascia la porta aperta al Pd. Ma sulle firme è "missione impossibile"". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  14. ^ Patta, Emilia (5 December 2017). "Centro-sinistra, il duello sulle priorità". Sole 24 Ore.
  15. ^ "Dipartimento per gli Affari Interni e Territoriali".
  16. ^ "+Europa È Ripartita!". 14 July 2018.
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