Grand coalition (Italy)

Grand coalition
Grande coalizione
Prime Minister Enrico Letta
Founded 28 April 2013
Dissolved 16 November 2013
Political position Centre-left (PD)
Centre (SC, UdC)
Centre-right (PdL)

The Grand coalition (Italian: Grande coalizione),[1] also known as Government of broad agreements (Italian: Governo di larghe intese),[2] was a political coalition in Italy formed on 28 April 2013 in support of the government of Enrico Letta.

Letta, a member of the Democratic Party, led a supermajority government, one of the largest in the history of the Italian Republic, but lost the support of the centre-right People of Freedom (PdL), its main coalition partner, endured at Palazzo Chigi thanks to the support of a group of splinters from the PdL who formed New Centre-Right (NCD). Anyway it was considered the end of the Grand Coalition.

Composition

The Letta Cabinet was supported by the following parties:

Party Main ideology Leader/s
Democratic Party (PD) Social democracy, Christian left Guglielmo Epifani, Enrico Letta
The People of Freedom (PdL) Liberal conservatism, Christian democracy Silvio Berlusconi, Angelino Alfano
Civic Choice (SC) Liberalism, Centrism Mario Monti
Union of the Centre (UdC) Christian democracy, Social conservatism Pierferdinando Casini

Formation

On 24 April 2013, the Vice-Secretary of the Democratic Party Enrico Letta was invited to form a government by President Giorgio Napolitano, after the resignation of Pier Luigi Bersani following weeks of political deadlock following the 2013 general election.[3] On 27 April Letta formally accepted the task of leading a grand coalition, with support from the centre-left Democratic Party (of which he stays Deputy Secretary), the centre-right People of Freedom, and the centrist Civic Choice, and subsequently listed the members of his Cabinet. The government he formed became the first in the history of the Republic to include representatives of all the major candidate-coalitions that had competed the election. His close relationship with his uncle Gianni Letta, one of Silvio Berlusconi's most trusted advisors, was perceived as a way of overcoming the bitter hostility between the two opposing camps.[4] Letta appointed Angelino Alfano, secretary of the People of Freedom, as his Deputy Prime Minister. He was formally sworn-in as Prime Minister on 28 April; during the ceremony, a man fired shots outside Palazzo Chigi and wounded two Carabinieri.[5]

On November 2013 Silvio Berlusconi announced the reborn of Forza Italia, in opposition to the government. A group of more than sixty deputies of PdL, led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Angelino Alfano, founded on 17 November a political force named New Centre-Right in support of Letta Cabinet.

Electoral results

Italian Parliament

Chamber of Deputies
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Prime Minister
2013 20,337,618 (#1) 58.0
453 / 630
–
Enrico Letta
Senate of the Republic
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Prime Minister
2013 19,240,345 (#1) 59.7
234 / 315
–
Enrico Letta

References

  1. ↑ Letta: Grande coalizione, bisogna farsene una ragione
  2. ↑ http://www.lettera43.it/politica/napolitano-bis-verso-un-governo-di-larghe-intese_4367592273.htm
  3. ↑ Frye, Andrew (24 April 2013). "Letta Named Italian Prime Minister as Impasse Ends". Bloomberg. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  4. ↑ "Bridge-builder Enrico Letta seals Silvio Berlusconi deal". The Australian. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "New Italian 'grand coalition' government sworn in". BBC News. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.

See also

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