List of political parties in Italy
Political parties in Italy are numerous and since World War II no party has ever gained enough support to govern alone. Parties thus form political alliances and coalition governments.
In the 2018 general election three groupings obtained most of the votes and most of the seats in the two houses of the Italian Parliament: a centre-right coalition, composed of the League, Forza Italia, the Brothers of Italy and minor allies; the anti-establishment Five Star Movement; a centre-left coalition, composed of the Democratic Party and minor allies.
History
Between 1945 and 1994, Italian politics was dominated by two major parties: Christian Democracy, the main party of government, and the Italian Communist Party, the main opposition party. The other opposition party was the post-fascist Italian Social Movement. During its almost fifty years in government, Christian Democracy chose its coalition partners among four parties: the Italian Socialist Party, the Italian Democratic Socialist Party, the Italian Republican Party and the Italian Liberal Party.For 46 consecutive years, the Christian Democrats led the government except for five years. Between 1983 and 1991, they led a coalition government with the Socialists, the Republicans, the Democratic Socialists and the Liberals. That was the time when several northern regional parties demanding autonomy organised themselves at the regional level. In 1991 they federated themselves into the Northern League, which became the country's fourth largest party in the 1992 general election.
In 1992–94, the political 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. Consequently, the Communists, who had evolved to become Democratic Party of the Left in 1991, and the post-fascists, who launched National Alliance in 1994, gained strength. Following the 1994 general election, media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi became Prime Minister at the head of a coalition composed mainly of three parties: his brand-new party Forza Italia, National Alliance and the Northern League.
Between 1996 and 2008, Italian political parties were organised into two big coalitions, the centre-right Pole for Freedoms and The Olive Tree on the centre-left. The latter governed from 1996 to 2001 and again between 2006 and 2008, while the House of Freedoms was in government between 2001 and 2006. In 2008 The Union ceased to exist as the newly-founded Democratic Party decided to break the alliance with its left-wing partners, notably including the Communist Refoundation Party. On the centre-right, Forza Italia and National Alliance merged to form The People of Freedom, which continued the alliance with the Northern League and won the 2008 general election.
In the 2013 general election the party system was fragmented in four groupings: the centre-left composed of the Democratic Party and Left Ecology Freedom; the traditional centre-right alliance between The People of Freedom and the Northern League; Beppe Grillo's Five Star Movement; and a new centrist coalition around Mario Monti's Civic Choice. In November 2013 The People of Freedom was dissolved and merged into the new Forza Italia, provoking the split of the New Centre-Right. In December 2016 Left Ecology Freedom was dissolved in order to take part to the formation of Italian Left. In February 2017 splinters from the Democratic Party and Italian Left launched the Article One, while in March the New Centre-Right was transformed into Popular Alternative.
In the 2018 general election the major groupings were reduced to three: the centre-right composed of the Northern League, Forza Italia, Brothers of Italy and minor allies; the Five Star Movement ; the centre-left composed of the Democratic Party and minor allies. Free and Equal, a new left-wing joint list whose main members were Article One and Italian Left, came a distant fourth.
Active parties
Coalitions
Active coalitions having garnered at least 10% in a general/European election:- Centre-right coalition
- Centre-left coalition
Major parties
- Five Star Movement
- Northern League
- Democratic Party
- Forward Italy
- Brothers of Italy
- Italy Alive
Minor parties
- Act!
- Action
- Article One
- Centrists for Europe
- Communist Refoundation Party
- Democratic Centre
- Energies for Italy
- Federation of the Greens
- Identity and Action
- Italian Communist Party
- Italian Left
- Italian Liberal Party
- Italian Republican Party
- Italian Socialist Party
- Italy of Values
- Italy in Common
- Let's Change!
- Liberal Democrats
- More Europe, including:
- *Italian Radicals
- Movement for the Autonomies
- New Italian Socialist Party
- Pensioners' Party
- Popular Alternative
- Populars for Italy
- Possible
- Power to the People
- Solidary Democracy
- Tricolour Flame
- Union of the Centre
Regional parties
;Aosta Valley
- Valdostan Union
- Northern League Aosta Valley
- Progressive Valdostan Union
- Autonomy Liberty Participation Ecology
- Mouv'
- Edelweiss
- For Our Valley
- Civic Network
- Northern League Piedmont
- Moderates
- Greens Greens
- Lombard League–Northern League
- Northern League Trentino
- Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party
- Trentino Civic List
- Union for Trentino
- Trentino Project
- Popular Autonomists
- Act for Trentino
- Dynamic Autonomy
- Fassa Association
- South Tyrolean People's Party
- Team Köllensperger
- Northern League Alto Adige – South Tyrol
- Greens
- The Freedomites
- South Tyrolean Freedom
- Alto Adige in the Heart
- Citizens' Union for South Tyrol
- UnItaly
- Venetian League–Northern League
- Venetian Centre-Right
- Independence We Veneto
- Venetian Republic League
- North-East Project
- Venetian Independence
- Veneto First
- Northern League Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- FVG Project
- Responsible Autonomy
- Pact for Autonomy
- Citizens
- Slovene Union
- Northern League Emilia
- Northern League Romagna
- Northern League Liguria
- Northern League Tuscany
- More Tuscany
- Northern League Marche
- Northern League Umbria
- Federalist Democracy
- Democratic Republicans
- We the South
- Democracy and Autonomy
- Italy is Popular
- Schittulli Political Movement
- Southern Action League
- United Populars
- Reality Italy
- The DemoKRats
- Autonomy and Rights
- She Will Become Most Beautiful
- Future Sicily
- Party of Sicilians
- Popular Construction
- Now Sicily
- Sardinian Action Party
- Sardinian Reformers
- Sardinia 20twenty
- Party of Sardinians
- United
- Project Republic of Sardinia
- Civic Sardinia
- Forward Together
- Sardinian Democratic Union
- Red Moors
- Christian Popular Union
- Independence Republic of Sardinia
- Sardinia Nation
Parties of Italians abroad
- Associative Movement Italians Abroad
- South American Union Italian Emigrants
Parliamentary groups
- For the Autonomies
Former parties
Former coalitions
Former coalitions having garnered at least 10% in a general/European election:- Popular Democratic Front
- Pact for Italy
- Pole of Freedoms
- Pole of Good Government
- Alliance of Progressives
- Pole for Freedoms
- The Olive Tree
- The Union
- House of Freedoms
- Italy. Common Good
- With Monti for Italy
Former major parties
- Moderate Party
- Dissident Left
- Historical Far Left
- Historical Left
- Historical Right
- Liberal Union
- Constitutional Democratic Party
- Italian Radical Party
- Democratic Liberal Party
- Combatants' Party
- German Association
- Italian Social Democratic Party
- Italian Reformist Socialist Party
- Communist Party of Italy
- Italian People's Party
- Unitary Socialist Party
- National Fascist Party
- Republican Fascist Party
- Common Man's Front
- People's Monarchist Party
- Unified Socialist Party
- Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity
- Italian Communist Party
- Christian Democracy
- Italian Liberal Party
- Italian Socialist Party
- Italian Social Movement
- Democratic Alliance
- Federalist Italian League
- Federalists and Liberal Democrats
- Democratic Party of the Left
- Italian Democratic Socialist Party
- Democratic Union for the Republic
- Italian People's Party
- Italian Renewal
- The Democrats
- Christian Democratic Centre
- United Christian Democrats
- Segni Pact
- Bonino List
- Democrats of the Left
- Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy
- Forward Italy
- National Alliance
- Democratic Left
- The People of Freedom
- Future and Freedom
- Left Ecology Freedom
- New Centre-Right
- Civic Choice
- Direction Italy
Former minor parties
- Action Party
- Italian Revolutionary Socialist Party
- Italian Workers' Party
- Conservative Catholics
- Italian Catholic Electoral Union
- Democratic Party
- Italian Nationalist Association
- Economic Party
- Republican Democratic Concentration
- Labour Democratic Party
- Italian Unionist Movement
- Action Party
- Social Christian Party
- Unitary Socialist Party
- National Democratic Alliance
- Popular Unity
- Monarchist National Party
- Italian Democratic Party of Monarchist Unity
- National Democracy
- Proletarian Unity Party
- Radical Party
- Rainbow Greens
- Federation of Green Lists
- Proletarian Democracy
- Movement of Unitarian Communists
- Labour Federation
- Social Christians
- Republican Left
- Italian Socialists
- Christian Democrats for the Republic
- Union of the Centre
- Democratic Union
- The Network
- Pannella List
- Union for the Republic
- Autonomists for Europe
- European Democracy
- Italian Democratic Socialists
- Christian Democracy for the Autonomies
- Liberal Populars
- Movement for the Left
- Bonino-Pannella List
- Force of the South
- Great South
- Union of Democrats for Europe
- Act to Stop the Decline
- Party of Italian Communists
- Italy Work in Progress
- Alliance for Italy
- Conservatives and Reformists
- Liberal Popular Alliance
- The Right
- Free Alternative
- National Movement for Sovereignty
Former regional parties
;Aosta Valley
- Valdostan Rally
- Progressive Valdostan Union
- Popular Democrats
- Progressive Democratic Autonomists
- Independent Autonomists
- For Aosta Valley
- Autonomist People's Alliance
- Autonomists
- Forward Valley
- Valdostan Renewal
- Lively Aosta Valley
- Rainbow Aosta Valley
- Alternative Greens
- Autonomist Federation
- Valdostan Autonomist Popular Edelweiss
- Civic Commitment
- Peasants' Party of Italy
- Piedmontese Union
- ProjectAction
- New League
- Autonomy Lombard Alliance
- Lombard Alpine League
- Lombard Autonomy League
- New Liguria
- Independents' Alliance
- Craftsman-Farmer Alliance
- New Left
- Trentino Tyrolean People's Party
- Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Union
- Integral Autonomy
- Trentino Autonomy League
- Alliance for Trentino
- Integral Autonomy
- Trentino Autonomists
- Trentino Tomorrow
- Daisy Civic List
- Democrats for Trentino
- Loyal to Trentino
- United Valleys
- Administer Trentino
- Ladin Autonomist Union
- Tyrolean Homeland Party
- Social Progressive Party of South Tyrol
- Social Democratic Party of South Tyrol
- Party of Independents
- New Left
- South Tyrolean Homeland Federation
- Freedom Party of South Tyrol
- Democratic Party of South Tyrol
- Democratic Union of Alto Adige
- Ladins Dolomites
- Union of the Venetian People
- Venetian Autonomy League
- Together for Veneto
- Toward North
- Popular Future
- Tosi List for Veneto
- List for Trieste
- Friuli Movement
- Friuli Autonomy League
- Autonomy Project Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- Reformist Popular Centre
- Freedom and Autonomy
- Friuli Union
- Julian Front
- More Tuscany
- Marche 2020
- Italian Hearts
- Progressive People's Party of Christian Inspiration
- Democratic Participation
- Democratic Populars
- Forward Campania
- Apulia First of All
- Moderates and Populars
- I the South
- The Democrats
- Mancini List
- Southern Democratic Party
- Movement for the Independence of Sicily
- Autonomist Independentist Liberal Sicilian Union
- Sicilian Autonomist and Independentist Concentration
- Social Christian Sicilian Union
- Liberal Socialists
- Sicilian Spring
- New Sicily
- Sicilian Alliance
- Autonomist Democrats
- Sicilian People's Movement
- The Populars of Italy Tomorrow
- Reformist Democrats for Sicily
- Article Four
- Pact of Democrats for Reforms
- Democratic Sicily
- The Megaphone – Crocetta List
- Centrists for Sicily
- Sardinian Socialist Action Party
- Independentist Sardinian Party
- New Movement
- Democratic Federation
- Sardinian People's Party
- Sardinia Project
- Sardinia Tomorrow
Former parties of Italians abroad
- For Italy in the World
- Italian Associations in South America
Former parliamentary groups
- Autonomist Group
- National Union
- Ecologist European Federalist Group
- Independent Left
- Democratic Left
- People and Territory
- National Cohesion
- For the Third Pole
- For Italy
- Popular Area
- Civics and Innovators
- Great Autonomies and Freedom
- Federation of Freedom