List of political parties in Italy

This is a list of political parties in Italy since Italian unification in 1861.

Throughout history, numerous political parties have been operating in Italy. Since World War II no party has ever gained enough support to govern alone; thus, parties form political alliances and coalition governments.

In the 2022 general election, four groupings obtained most of the votes and most of the seats in the two houses of the Italian Parliament: the "centre-right coalition" composed of the Brothers of Italy, Lega, Forza Italia and minor allies; the "centre-left coalition" composed of the Democratic Party and minor allies; the populist Five Star Movement; and the liberal Action – Italia Viva (also known as "Third Pole").

Coalitions of parties for regional elections can be slightly different from those for general elections, due to different regional conditions (for instance, in some regions the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement are in coalition, but not in others; same for the Democratic Party and the Third Pole) and the presence of several regional parties, some of which active only at regional level.

History

The first modern political party in Italy was the Italian Socialist Party, established in 1892.^[1] Until then, the main political groupings of the country, the Historical Right and the Historical Left, were not classifiable as parties, but as simple groups of notables, each with their own electoral fiefdom, that joined together according to their own ideas.^[2] From time to time, in the context of the Historical Far Left, other parties emerged: the Italian Republican Party, established in 1895,^[3] and the Italian Radical Party, established in 1904.^[4]

The Italian Socialist Party envisaged itself as a mass party, a form of party that would dominate throughout the 20th century. It was followed a few years later by the Italian People's Party, established in 1919. Both parties achieved electoral success until the advent of fascism, contributing decisively to the loss of strength and authority of the old liberal ruling class, which had not been able to structure itself into a proper party: the Liberal Union, launched in 1913, was not a coherent one and the Italian Liberal Party, formed in 1922, came too late. The beginning of 1921 saw the foundation of the Communist Party of Italy, born from a split of the Italian Socialist Party. Also in 1921, Benito Mussolini gave birth to the National Fascist Party, and the next year, through the March on Rome, he was appointed Prime Minister. In 1926, through the so-called leggi fascistissime (lit. 'very fascist laws'), all parties were dissolved except the National Fascist Party, which thus remained the only legal party in the Kingdom of Italy until the fall of the regime in July 1943. Meanwhile, following the dissolution of the Comintern in May 1943, the Communist Party of Italy was rebranded Italian Communist Party. The following September, six anti-fascist parties – the Christian Democracy, the Italian Socialist Party, the Italian Communist Party, the Italian Liberal Party, the Action Party and the Labour Democratic Party — formed the joint National Liberation Committee, which gained official recognition as the representative of the Italian resistance movement (the Committee recognised the monarchy, thus the Italian Republican Party stayed out because of its full loyalty to republican principles). The parties of the Committee then formed, in various combinations, the governments of Italy from the liberation of Rome in 1944 until 1947, when the Socialists and the Communists were ejected.

In 1946, through a referendum, Italy became a republic and a Constituent Assembly wrote the republican Constitution. Between 1948 and 1992, the party system was dominated by two major parties: the Christian Democracy, the structural party of government, and the Italian Communist Party, the main opposition party.^[5] Another stable opposition party was the post-fascist Italian Social Movement. For about half a century, following a so-called conventio ad excludendum of the Italian Communist Party,^[6] the governments were led by the Christian Democracy, that chose its coalition partners among smaller parties situated either to its left or right: the Italian Socialist Party, the Italian Democratic Socialist Party, the Italian Liberal Party and the Italian Republican Party.^[7] Between 1981 and 1991, the Christian Democrats formed coalition governments named Pentapartito with all four of them.^[8] That was the time when several northern regional parties, whose policy themes were federalism and autonomism, were established. In 1991 they federated themselves into Lega Nord, which became the country's fourth largest party in the 1992 general election.^[9]

Between 1992 and 1994, the established party system was shaken by a series of corruption scandals known collectively as Tangentopoli. These events led to the disappearance of the five parties of government.^[10] Consequently, the Italian Communist Party, which had evolved to become the Democratic Party of the Left in 1991, with the exit of the Communist Refoundation Party, and the post-fascists, who had launched National Alliance in 1994, gained strength. On the contrary, the Christian Democracy, which changed its name to Italian People's Party in 1994, lost its centrality in the Italian party system. Following the 1994 general election, media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi became Prime Minister at the head of a government composed mainly of his brand-new Forza Italia party, joined by several members of the defunct mainstream parties, National Alliance and Lega Nord.^[11]

Between 1996 and 2008, the political parties were organised into two big coalitions, which took turns in government: the centre-right Pole for Freedoms, which was renamed House of Freedoms after the re-entry of Lega Nord in 2000, and The Olive Tree, lately part of a broader coalition named The Union, on the centre-left.^[12] As for the centre-left, the Democratic Party of the Left changed its name again in 1998, becoming Democrats of the Left,^[13] while in 2002 a new party called Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy was founded by the merger of some centrist parties (including the Italian People's Party). In 2008, following the fall of the centre-left government led by Romano Prodi, the Democratic Party (established in 2007 upon the merger of the Democrats of the Left and The Daisy) decided to break the alliance with the Communist Refoundation Party and other minor left-wing parties. Contextually, on the centre-right of the political spectrum, Forza Italia and National Alliance merged to form The People of Freedom,^[14] which continued the alliance with Lega Nord and prevailed in the 2008 general election.^[15]

In the 2013 general election, the party system was fragmented in four groupings: the centre-left alliance led by the Democratic Party; the traditional centre-right alliance between the People of Freedom, Lega Nord and the newly-founded Brothers of Italy (a right-wing split of the People of Freedom, formed mainly by former members of National Alliance); Beppe Grillo's Five Star Movement; and a new centrist coalition around the outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti's Civic Choice party.^[16] In November 2013, the national council of People of Freedom, at the behest of Berlusconi, suspended all party activities, to relaunch Forza Italia,^[17] which would experience multiple splits. In the 2018 general election, the major groupings were reduced to three: the centre-right coalition, composed of Lega (Lega Nord's evolution on a countrywide scale), Forza Italia, Brothers of Italy and minor allies; the Five Star Movement (which was the single most voted party); and the centre-left coalition, composed of the Democratic Party and minor allies.^[18] The centre-right coalition won a full majority in the 2022 general election, leading to a government led by Brothers of Italy's leader Giorgia Meloni (the first since 2008 to be formed by a coalition of parties having fought the election together), while the opposition was fragmented in three segments: the Democratic Party-led centre-left coalition; the Five Star Movement; and a centrist alliance between Action and Italia Viva (both splinter groups of the Democratic Party).

Active parties

Parties represented in the Italian or European Parliament

	Founded	Ideology	Leader	Deputies	Senators	MEPs	Associate parties
Brothers of Italy Fratelli d'Italia	2012	National conservatism Right-wing populism	Giorgia Meloni	117 / 400	66 / 200	24 / 76	DB DCR
Democratic Party Partito Democratico	2007	Social democracy	Elly Schlein	70 / 400	37 / 200	21 / 76	DemoS CD CpE
Lega^[a]	2017	Right-wing populism Conservatism	Matteo Salvini	65 / 400	29 / 200	8 / 76	Fassa
Five Star Movement Movimento 5 Stelle	2009	Populism Green politics	Giuseppe Conte	50 / 400	26 / 200	8 / 76
Forza Italia	2013	Liberal conservatism Christian democracy	Antonio Tajani	48 / 400	20 / 200	8 / 76	NPSI
Action Azione	2019	Liberalism	Carlo Calenda	10 / 400	2 / 200	0 / 76
Italia Viva	2019	Liberalism	Matteo Renzi	7 / 400	7 / 200	0 / 76
Green Europe Europa Verde	2021	Green politics	Angelo Bonelli	5 / 400^[b]	1 / 200^[b]	4 / 76
Us Moderates Noi Moderati	2022	Liberal conservatism Christian democracy	Maurizio Lupi	5 / 400	2 / 200	0 / 76	CP
Italian Left Sinistra Italiana	2017	Democratic socialism Eco-socialism	Nicola Fratoianni	4 / 400^[b]	2 / 200^[b]	2 / 76
South Tyrolean People's Party^[c] Südtiroler Volkspartei	1945	Regionalism German-speaking minority interests	Dieter Steger	3 / 400	2 / 200	1 / 76
More Europe +Europa	2017	Liberalism Pro-Europeanism	Emma Bonino	2 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76	RI FE
Associative Movement of Italians Abroad Movimento Associativo Italiani all'Estero	2008	Italians abroad interests	Ricardo Antonio Merlo	1 / 400	1 / 200	0 / 76
Coraggio Italia	2021	Liberal conservatism	Luigi Brugnaro	1 / 400	1 / 200	0 / 76
Union of the Centre Unione di Centro	2002	Christian democracy Social conservatism	Lorenzo Cesa	1 / 400	1 / 200	0 / 76
South calls North Sud chiama Nord	2022	Regionalism Populism	Cateno De Luca	1 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76
Animalist Movement Movimento Animalista	2017	Animal rights	Michela Vittoria Brambilla	1 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76
Progressive Party^[d] Partito Progressista	2017	Progressivism	Massimo Zedda	1 / 400^[b]	0 / 200	0 / 76
Valdostan Union^[e] Union Valdôtaine	1945	Regionalism French-speaking minority interests	Cristina Machet	1 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76
Campobase^[f]	2022	Regionalism	Micheal Rech	0 / 400	1 / 200	0 / 76

Notes

^ In 2020 the Lega politically replaced the Lega Nord, a federalist party established in 1991 and still legally active. The Lega is a confederal party, composed of 22 territorial divisions, some of which were autonomous parties before joining the Lega Nord: Liga Veneta, Lega Lombarda, Lega Piemonte, Lega Vallée d'Aoste, Lega Trentino, Lega Alto Adige Südtirol, Lega Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lega Emilia, Lega Romagna, Lega Liguria, Lega Toscana, Lega Marche, Lega Umbria, Lega Lazio, Lega Molise, Lega Campania, Lega Puglia, Lega Basilicata, Lega Calabria, Lega Sicilia and Lega Sardegna. The southern divisions of the party were originally organized into Us with Salvini in 2014 and later incorporated into the Lega in 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Within Greens and Left Alliance.
^ Active only in South Tyrol.
^ Active only in Sardinia.
^ Active only in Aosta Valley.
^ Active only in Trentino.

Parties represented within other parties in the Italian or European Parliament

	Founded	Ideology	Leader	Deputies	Senators	MEPs	Affiliation
Italy in the Centre Italia al Centro	2022	Liberal conservatism	Giovanni Toti	2 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76	NM
Populars Europeanists Reformers Popolari Europeisti Riformatori	2023	Christian democracy Liberalism	Elena Bonetti	2 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76	A
Solidary Democracy Democrazia Solidale	2014	Christian left	Paolo Ciani	1 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76	PD
Cantiere Popolare^[a]	2012	Christian democracy Regionalism	Francesco Saverio Romano	1 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76	NM
Christian Democracy with Rotondi Democrazia Cristiana con Rotondi	2023	Christian democracy	Gianfranco Rotondi	1 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76	FdI
Democratic Centre Centro Democratico	2012	Christian left Social liberalism	Bruno Tabacci	1 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76	PD
Italian Radicals Radicali Italiani	2001	Liberalism Libertarianism	Matteo Hallissey	1 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76	+E
New Italian Socialist Party Nuovo Partito Socialista Italiano	2001	Social democracy Liberalism	Stefano Caldoro	1 / 400	0 / 200	0 / 76	FI
Centrists for Europe Centristi per l'Europa	2017	Christian democracy Pro-Europeanism	Pier Ferdinando Casini	0 / 400	1 / 200	0 / 76	PD
Fassa Association^[b] Associazione Fassa	2008	Ladin-speaking minority interests Christian democracy	Luca Guglielmi	0 / 400	1 / 200	0 / 76	Lega
Diventerà Bellissima^[a]	2014	Regionalism Conservatism	Nello Musumeci	0 / 400	1 / 200	0 / 76	FdI

Notes

^ ^a ^b Active only in Sicily.
^ Active only in Fassa Valley, Trentino.

Parties represented only in Regional Councils

Countrywide parties

	Founded	Ideology	Leader	Regional Council
Italian Socialist Party Partito Socialista Italiano	2007	Social democracy	Enzo Maraio	Campania Basilicata Sardinia
Possible Possibile	2015	Social democracy Green politics	Francesca Druetti	Piedmont Sardinia
Populars for Italy Popolari per l'Italia	2014	Christian democracy Liberal conservatism	Mario Mauro	Molise
Us of the Centre Noi di Centro	2021	Christian democracy	Clemente Mastella	Campania
Vita	2022	Populism Anti-establishment	Sara Cunial	Trentino-Alto Adige

Regional parties

	Founded	Ideology	Leader	Regional Council
Civic Network Rete Civica	2019	Regionalism	Fabio Protasoni	Aosta Valley
Edelweiss Stella Alpina	2001	Regionalism Christian democracy	Ronny Bobey	Aosta Valley
For Our Valley Pour Notre Vallée	2019	Regionalism French-speaking minority interests	Fabio Gradi	Aosta Valley
For Autonomy Pour l'autonomie	2020	Regionalism French-speaking minority interests	Aldo Di Marco	Aosta Valley
Mouv'	2017	Regionalism Autonomism	Damien Charrance	Aosta Valley
Valdostan Alliance Alliance Valdôtaine	2019	Regionalism Progressivism	Albert Chatrian	Aosta Valley
Autonomy House Casa Autonomia.eu	2022	Regionalism Christian democracy	Paola Demagri Michele Dallapiccola	Trentino-Alto Adige
Die Freiheitlichen	1992	Separatism German-speaking minority interests	Dietmar Zwerger	Trentino-Alto Adige
For South Tyrol with Widmann Für Südtirol mit Widmann	2023	Regionalism Christian democracy	Thomas Widmann	Trentino-Alto Adige
Futura Trentino	2018	Regionalism Social democracy	Nicola Serra	Trentino-Alto Adige
Greens Verdi–Grüne–Vërc	1978	Green politics	Felix Wohlgemuth Marlene Pernstich	Trentino-Alto Adige
JWA List JWA Liste	2023	Right-wing populism Separatism	Jürgen Wirth Anderlan	Trentino-Alto Adige
The Civic List La Civica	2019	Regionalism	Mattia Gottardi	Trentino-Alto Adige
Popular Autonomists Autonomisti Popolari	2017	Regionalism Christian democracy	Walter Kaswalder	Trentino-Alto Adige
South Tyrolean Freedom Süd-Tiroler Freiheit	2007	Separatism German-speaking minority interests	Eva Klotz	Trentino-Alto Adige
Team K	2018	Regionalism Liberalism	Paul Köllensperger	Trentino-Alto Adige
Trentino Project Progetto Trentino	2008	Regionalism Christian democracy	Silvano Grisenti	Trentino-Alto Adige
Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party Partito Autonomista Trentino Tirolese	1988	Regionalism Christian democracy	Simone Marchiori	Trentino-Alto Adige
Liga Veneta Repubblica	1998	Regionalism Venetian nationalism	Fabrizio Comencini	Veneto
FVG Project Progetto FVG	2018	Regionalism	Sergio Bini	Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Pact for Autonomy Patto per l'Autonomia	2015	Regionalism	Sergio Cecotti	Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Slovene Union Slovenska Skupnost	1963	Slovene-speaking minority interests	Peter Močnik	Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Building Democracy Costruire Democrazia	2009	Regionalism	Massimo Romano	Molise
Italy Is Popular L'Italia è Popolare	2017	Christian democracy	Giuseppe De Mita	Campania
Popular Apulia Puglia Popolare	2017	Regionalism Christian democracy	Massimo Cassano	Apulia
Christian Democracy Sicily Democrazia Cristiana Sicilia	2020	Christian democracy	Salvatore Cuffaro	Sicily
Movement for Autonomy Movimento per l'Autonomia	2005	Regionalism Christian democracy	Raffaele Lombardo	Sicily
Future Left Sinistra Futura	2023	Regionalism Democratic socialism	Luca Pizzuto	Sardinia
Sardinia 20Twenty Sardegna 20Venti	2013	Regionalism	Stefano Tunis	Sardinia
Sardinia Alliance Alleanza Sardegna	2023	Regionalism Liberalism	Gerolamo Solina	Sardinia
Sardinian Action Party Partito Sardo d'Azione	1921	Regionalism Sardinian nationalism	Christian Solinas	Sardinia
Sardinian Reformers Riformatori Sardi	1993	Regionalism Liberal conservatism	Michele Cossa	Sardinia
Shared Horizon Orizzonte Comune	2023	Regionalism	Franco Cuccureddu	Sardinia