Christian Democratic Centre

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The Christian Democratic Centre (Centro Cristiano Democratico, CCD) was a christian-democratic party in Italy.

[edit] History

The party emerged from a split from Italian People's Party (PPI), direct heir of the Christian Democracy (DC), in 1994. Its leader were Pier Ferdinando Casini and Clemente Mastella who advocated an alliance with Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI). PPI advocated an alliance with Patto Segni. CCD was the right-wing of the massive DC and did not like the policies of PPI, which was largely heir of the left-wing part of the DC, especially after the split of the United Christian Democrats (CDU) in 1995.

In occasion to the general elections of 1994 it allied itself with Forza Italia forming the Pole of Freedoms in Northern Italy, the Pole of Good Government in Southern Italy and a joint-list with FI for the proportional. Its results were quite substantial gaining 40 MPs. The alliance won and CCD was part of the Berlusconi I Cabinet with Clemente Mastella becoming Minister of Labour and Francesco D'Onofrio Minister of Education. However due to swing of alliance of the Northern League the government of Berlusconi was overthrown.

The general elections came again in 1996. The Christian Democratic Centre formed a joint-list with the United Christian Democrats. The alliance proved successful, gaining around 5.8% at national scale, equivalent to 50 MPs. But the centre-right coalition lost the election forcing them into opposition for 5 years.

During the 1996-2001 legislature Clemente Mastella and few MPs left the party to form with CDU the Democratic Union for the Republic (UDR) which allied itself with the centre-left coalition which was in power. However in 1999 Clemente Mastella founded a new party, the Union of Democrats for Europe (UDEUR) and the United Christian Democrats reconstituted the party allying itself again with the Christian Democratic Centre.

Once again CCD and CDU formed an alliance for the 2001 general elections, this time gaining around 3.2% (a discreet decrease of votes). However the House of Freedoms coalition (Forza Italia, National Alliance, Northern League, CCD-CDU, PRI and NPSI) won the election.

In 2002 the the Christian Democratic Centre, the United Christian Democrats and European Democracy (DE) formally merged into one party, the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC).

[edit] Leadership

• Secretary: Pier Ferdinando Casini (1994-2001), Marco Follini (2001-02)
• President: Clemente Mastella (1994-98), Sandro Fontana (1998-2002)
• Organizational Secretary: Mario Baccini (1998-2002)

 

Historical Italian political parties (active parties: simple version, in 2007)

Communist: Communist Party of Italy, Italian Communist Party, Organisation of Communists of Italy (Marxist-Leninists), Proletarian Unity Party, Proletarian Democracy, Movement of Unitarian Communists Socialist and social-democratic: Italian Socialist Party, Italian Reform Socialist Party, United Socialist Party (1922), Labour Democratic Party, Italian Socialist Workers' Party, United Socialist Party (1949), Italian Democratic Socialist Party, Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity, Unified Socialist Party, Democratic Party of the Left, Italian Socialists, Democrats of the Left Green: Green Lists, Rainbow Greens Social liberal: Action Party, Radical Party, Democratic Alliance, Democratic Union, Movement for Democracy – The Net, The Democrats, European Republicans Movement, Liberal: Italian Liberal Party, Union of the Centre, Liberal Party Centrist: Patto Segni, Italian Renewal, United Consumers, Southern Democratic Party, Middle-of-the-Road Italy, Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy Regionalist: Social Democratic Party of South Tyrol, Fronte Marco Polo, Sardinia Project, Sicilian Alliance Christian democratic: Italian People's Party (1919), Christian Democracy, Italian People's Party (1994), Christian Democratic Centre, United Christian Democrats, Christian Democrats for the Republic, Democratic Union for the Republic, European Democracy Conservative: Uomo Qualunque Front, Monarchist National Party, People's Monarchist Party, Italian Democratic Party of Monarchist Unity, National Democracy Fascist and neo-fascist: National Fascist Party, Italian Social Movement–National Right Leftist coalition: Popular Democratic Front, Alliance of Progressives, Centre-left coalition:The Olive Tree, The Union, Rose in the Fist Liberal coalition: National Democratic Union, National Bloc, Republicans, Liberals, Reformers Centrist coalition: Pact for Italy, Pact of Democrats Centre-right coalition: Pole of Freedoms, Pole of Good Government, House of Freedoms Conservative coalition: National Bloc of Freedom Neo-fascist coalition: Social Alternative Liste civetta: For the Abolition of Scorporo, New Country