Political parties in Italy are numerous and there are hundreds of parties which are no longer active. Since World War II, no party has ever gained enough support to govern alone. Parties thus form political alliances and coalition governments.
In the latest general election in 2013, there were four major coalitions of political parties: the centre-left composed mainly of the Democratic Party and Left Ecology Freedom; the centre-right composed mainly of The People of Freedom and the Northern League; the anti-establishment Five Star Movement; and a new centrist coalition built around Civic Choice. In November 2013 The People of Freedom was dissolved and merged into the new Forza Italia, provoking the formation of the split-away New Centre-Right. In December 2016 Left Ecology Freedom was dissolved in order to take part to the formation of Italian Left.
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. These were the years 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 (joined by several members of the former mainstream parties), 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 (which was renamed House of Freedoms after the re-entry of the Northern League in 2000) and The Olive Tree (part of the new, broader coalition The Union in 2005) on the centre-left. The centre-left 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 latest to date, the political scenario was much more fragmented with four big 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 formation of the split-away New Centre-Right. In December 2016 Left Ecology Freedom was dissolved in order to take part to the formation of Italian Left.
Active parties having garnered at least 4% in the latest general election or having their own group in at least a chamber of the Italian Parliament or 5 MEPs:
Democratic Party (Partito Democratico)
Five Star Movement (Movimento Cinque Stelle)
Forward Italy (Forza Italia)
New Centre-Right (Nuovo Centrodestra)
Democrats and Progressives (Democratici e Progressisti)
Northern League (Lega Nord)
Liberal Popular Alliance (Alleanza Liberalpopolare)
Italian Left (Sinistra Italiana)
Conservatives and Reformists–Direction Italy (Conservatori e Riformisti–Direzione Italia)
Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia)
Civic Choice (Scelta Civica)
Active parties having garnered at least 1% in a general/European election or having had at least 5 MPs, 2 MEPs or 3 elects in 3 different Regional Councils:
Act! (Fare!)
Centrists for Europe (Centristi per l'Europa)
Communist Refoundation Party (Partito della Rifondazione Comunista)
Democratic Centre (Centro Democratico)
Federation of the Greens (Federazione dei Verdi)
Free Alternative (Alternativa Libera)
Great South (Grande Sud)
Identity and Action (Identità e Azione)
Italian Communist Party (Partito Comunista Italiano)
Italian Liberal Party (Partito Liberale Italiano)
Italian Radicals (Radicali Italiani)
Italian Republican Party (Partito Repubblicano Italiano)
Italian Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Italiano)
Italy of Values (Italia dei Valori)
Movement for the Autonomies (Movimento per le Autonomie)
National Movement for Sovereignty (Movimento Nazionale per la Sovranità)
New Italian Socialist Party (Nuovo Partito Socialista Italiano)
Pensioners' Party (Partito Pensionati)
Populars for Italy (Popolari per l'Italia)
Possible (Possibile)
Solidary Democracy (Democrazia Solidale)
Tricolour Flame (Fiamma Tricolore)
Union of the Centre (Unione di Centro)
Active parties having garnered at least 2% in a regional election (or in a general/European election at the regional level), having elected at least one regional councillor with their own lists or having had at least 2 regional councillors:
Aosta Valley
Valdostan Union (Union Valdôtaine)
Progressive Valdostan Union (Union Valdôtaine Progressiste)
Autonomy Liberty Participation Ecology (Autonomie Liberté Participation Ecologie)
Edelweiss (Stella Alpina)
For Our Valley (Per la Valle d'Aosta)
Valdostan Autonomist Popular Edelweiss (Edelweiss Popolare Autonomista Valdostano)
Aosta Valley Northern League (Lega Nord Valle d'Aosta)
Piedmont
Piedmont Northern League (Lega Nord Piemont)
Moderates (Moderati)
Greens Greens (Verdi Verdi)
Lombardy
Lombard League–Northern League (Lega Lombarda–Lega Nord)
South Tyrol
South Tyrolean People's Party (Südtiroler Volkspartei)
The Freedomites (Die Freiheitlichen)
Greens (Verdi-Grüne-Vërc)
South Tyrolean Freedom (Süd-Tiroler Freiheit)
Citizens' Union for South Tyrol (BürgerUnion für Südtirol)
Alto Adige/South Tyrol Northern League (Lega Nord Alto Adige/Südtirol)
Alto Adige in the Heart (L'Alto Adige nel Cuore)
Ladins Dolomites (Ladins Dolomites)
UnItaly (Unitalia)
Trentino
Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party (Partito Autonomista Trentino Tirolese)
Union for Trentino (Unione per il Trentino)
Trentino Project (Progetto Trentino)
Trentino Northern League (Lega Nord Trentino)
Trentino Civic List (Civica Trentina)
Administer Trentino (Amministrare il Trentino)
Ladin Autonomist Union (Unione Autonomista Ladina)
Veneto
Venetian League–Northern League (Liga Veneta–Lega Nord)
Tosi List for Veneto (Lista Tosi per il Veneto)
We Independent Veneto (Noi Veneto Indipendente)
Venetian Republic League (Liga Veneta Repubblica)
North-East Project (Progetto Nord-Est)
Venetian Independence (Indipendenza Veneta)
Veneto First (Prima il Veneto)
Popular Future (Futuro Popolare)
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Responsible Autonomy (Autonomia Responsabile)
Friuli-Venezia Giulia Northern League (Lega Nord Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
Civic Freedom (Libertà Civica)
Slovene Union (Slovenska Skupnost)
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia Northern League (Lega Nord Emilia)
Romagna Northern League (Lega Nord Romagna)
Liguria
Liguria Northern League (Lega Nord Liguria)
Tuscany
Tuscany Northern League (Lega Nord Toscana)
More Tuscany (Più Toscana)
Marche
Marche Northern League (Lega Nord Marche)
Umbria
Umbria Northern League (Lega Nord Umbria)
Lazio
ItalianHearts (Cuoritaliani)
Campania
Federalist Democracy (Democrazia Federalista)
Democratic Republicans (Repubblicani Democratici)
We the South (Noi Sud)
Apulia
Apulia First of All (La Puglia Prima di Tutto)
Schittulli Political Movement (Movimento Politico Schittulli)
Basilicata
United Populars (Popolari Uniti)
Reality Italy (Realtà Italia)
Calabria
The DemoKRats (I DemoKRatici)
Autonomy and Rights (Autonomia e Diritti)
Sicily
Party of Sicilians (Partito dei Siciliani)
Democratic Sicily (Sicilia Democratica)
Pact of Democrats for Reforms (Patto dei Democratici per le Riforme)
Centrists for Sicily (Centristi per la Sicilia)
Sardinia
Sardinian Reformers (Riformatori Sardi)
Sardinian Action Party (Partito Sardo d'Azione)
United (Unidos)
Project Republic of Sardinia (Progetu Repùblica de Sardigna)
Party of Sardinians (Partito dei Sardi)
Red Moors (Rosso Mori)
Sardinian Democratic Union (Unione Democratica Sarda)
Christian Popular Union (Unione Popolare Cristiana)
Independence Republic of Sardinia (Indipendèntzia Repùbrica de Sardigna)
Forward Together (Fortza Paris)
Sardinia Nation (Sardigna Natzione)
Active parties having garnered at least 15% in one constituency in a general election or having had at least 1 MP:
Associative Movement Italians Abroad (Movimento Associativo Italiani all'Estero)
South American Union Italian Emigrants (Unione Sudamericana Emigranti Italiani)
Parliamentary groups not directly connected to a political party or coalition of political parties:
For the Autonomies (Per le Autonomie)
Great Autonomies and Freedom (Grandi Autonomie e Libertà)
Popular Area (Area Popolare)
Civics and Innovators (Civici e Innovatori)
Former coalitions having garnered at least 10% in a general/European election:
Popular Democratic Front (Fronte Democratico Popolare)
Pact for Italy (Patto per l'Italia)
Pole of Freedoms (Polo delle Libertà)
Pole of Good Government (Polo del Buon Governo)
Alliance of Progressives (Alleanza dei Progressisti)
Pole for Freedoms (Polo per le Libertà)
The Olive Tree (L'Ulivo)
The Union (L'Unione)
House of Freedoms (Casa delle Libertà)
Italy. Common Good (Italia. Bene Comune)
With Monti for Italy (Con Monti per l'Italia)
Government-only coalitions
Centrist coalition (Coalizione centrista)
Organic Centre-left (Centro-sinistra organico)
Pentaparty (Pentapartito)
Grand coalition (Grande coalizione)
Former parties having garnered at least 4% in a general/European election or having had at least 30 MPs or 5 MEPs:
Moderate Party (Partito Moderato)
Dissident Left (Sinistra Dissidente)
Historical Far Left (Estrema Sinistra Storica)
Historical Left (Sinistra Storica)
Historical Right (Destra Storica)
Liberal Union (Unione Liberale)
Constitutional Democratic Party (Partito Democratico Costituzionale)
Italian Radical Party (Partito Radicale Italiano)
Democratic Liberal Party (Partito Liberale Democratico)
Combatants' Party (Partito dei Combattenti)
Italian Social Democratic Party (Partito Democratico Sociale Italiano)
Italian Reformist Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Riformista Italiano)
Communist Party of Italy (Partito Comunista d'Italia)
Italian People's Party [old] (Partito Popolare Italiano)
Unitary Socialist Party [old] (Partito Socialista Unitario)
National Fascist Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista)
Republican Fascist Party (Partito Fascista Repubblicano)
Common Man's Front (Fronte dell'Uomo Qualunque)
People's Monarchist Party (Partito Monarchico Popolare)
Unified Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Unificato)
Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity (Partito Socialista di Unità Proletaria)
Italian Communist Party [old] (Partito Comunista Italiano)
Christian Democracy [old] (Democrazia Cristiana)
Italian Liberal Party [old] (Partito Liberale Italiano)
Italian Socialist Party [old] (Partito Socialista Italiano)
Italian Social Movement (Movimento Sociale Italiano)
Democratic Alliance (Alleanza Democratica)
Federalist Italian League (Lega Italiana Federalista)
Federalists and Liberal Democrats (Federalisti e Liberaldemocratici)
Democratic Party of the Left (Partito Democratico della Sinistra)
Italian Democratic Socialist Party [old] (Partito Socialista Democratico Italiano)
Democratic Union for the Republic (Unione Democratica per la Repubblica)
Italian People's Party (Partito Popolare Italiano)
Italian Renewal (Rinnovamento Italiano)
The Democrats (I Democratici)
Christian Democratic Centre (Centro Cristiano Democratico)
United Christian Democrats (Cristiani Democratici Uniti)
Segni Pact (Patto Segni)
Bonino List (Lista Bonino)
Democrats of the Left (Democratici di Sinistra)
Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (Democrazia è Libertà – La Margherita)
Forward Italy [old] (Forza Italia)
National Alliance (Alleanza Nazionale)
Democratic Left (Sinistra Democratica)
The People of Freedom (Il Popolo della Libertà)
Union of Democrats for Europe (Unione Democratici per l'Europa)
Future and Freedom (Futuro e Libertà)
Left Ecology Freedom (Sinistra Ecologia Libertà)
Former parties having garnered at least 1% in a general/European election or having had at least 5 MPs, 2 MEPs or 3 elects in 3 different Regional Councils:
Action Party [old] (Partito d'Azione)
Italian Revolutionary Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Rivoluzionario Italiano)
Italian Labour Party (Partito Operaio Italiano)
Conservative Catholics (Cattolici Conservatori)
Italian Catholic Electoral Union (Unione Elettorale Cattolica Italiana)
Democratic Party [old] (Partito Democratico)
Italian Nationalist Association (Associazione Nazionalista Italiana)
Economic Party (Partito Economico)
Labour Democratic Party (Partito Democratico del Lavoro)
Action Party (Partito d'Azione)
Unitary Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Unitario)
Socialist Autonomy (Autonomia Socialista)
National Democratic Alliance (Alleanza Democratica Nazionale)
Popular Unity (Unità Popolare)
Monarchist National Party (Partito Nazionale Monarchico)
Italian Democratic Party of Monarchist Unity (Partito Democratico Italiano di Unità Monarchica)
National Democracy (Democrazia Nazionale)
Proletarian Unity Party (Partito di Unità Proletaria)
Radical Party (Partito Radicale)
Rainbow Greens (Verdi Arcobaleno)
Green Lists (Liste Verdi)
Proletarian Democracy (Democrazia Proletaria)
Movement of Unitarian Communists (Movimento dei Comunisti Unitari)
Labour Federation (Federazione Laburista)
Social Christians (Cristiano Sociali)
Republican Left (Sinistra Repubblicana)
Italian Socialists (Socialisti Italiani)
Christian Democrats for the Republic (Cristiani Democratici per la Repubblica)
Union of the Centre [old] (Unione di Centro)
Democratic Union (Unione Democratica)
The Network (La Rete)
Pannella List (Lista Pannella)
Union for the Republic (Unione per la Repubblica)
Autonomists for Europe (Autonomisti per l'Europa)
European Democracy (Democrazia Europea)
Italian Democratic Socialists (Socialisti Democratici Italiani)
Christian Democracy for the Autonomies (Democrazia Cristiana per le Autonomie)
Liberal Populars (Popolari Liberali)
Movement for the Left (Movimento per la Sinistra)
Bonino-Pannella List (Lista Bonino-Pannella)
Force of the South (Forza del Sud)
Act to Stop the Decline (Fare per Fermare il Declino)
Party of Italian Communists (Partito dei Comunisti Italiani)
Italy Work in Progress (Italia Lavori in Corso)
Alliance for Italy (Alleanza per l'Italia)
The Right (La Destra)
Former parties having garnered at least 2% in a regional election (or in a general/European election at the regional level), having elected at least one regional councillor with their own lists or having had at least 2 regional councillors:
Aosta Valley
Aosta Valley Regional Rally (Raggruppamento Regionale Vallée d'Aoste)
Italian Democratic Group (Gruppo Democratico Italiano)
Valdostan Rally (Rassemblement Valdôtain)
Progressive Valdostan Union [old] (Union Valdôtaine Progressiste)
Popular Democrats (Democratici Popolari)
Progressive Democratic Autonomists (Autonomistes Démocrates Progressistes)
Independent Autonomists (Autonomisti Indipendenti)
For Aosta Valley (Pour la Vallée d'Aoste)
Autonomist People's Alliance (Alleanza Popolare Autonomista)
Autonomists (Autonomistes)
Forward Valley (Alé Vallée)
Valdostan Renewal (Renouveau Valdôtain)
Lively Aosta Valley (Vallée d'Aoste Vive)
Rainbow Aosta Valley (Arcobaleno Vallée d'Aoste)
Alternative Greens (Verdi Alternativi)
Autonomist Federation (Fédération Autonomiste)
Piedmont
Piedmontese Union (Union Piemontèisa)
ProjectAction (Progett'Azione)
Lombardy
New League (Lega Nuova)
Autonomy Lombard Alliance (Autonomia Alleanza Lombarda)
Lombard Alpine League (Lega Alpina Lumbarda)
Lombard Autonomy League (Lega Autonomia Lombarda)
Liguria
New Liguria (Liguria Nuova)
South Tyrol
Tyrolean Homeland Party (Tiroler Heimatpartei)
Social Progressive Party of South Tyrol (Soziale Fortschrittspartei Südtirols)
Social Democratic Party of South Tyrol (Sozialdemokratische Partei Südtirols)
Party of Independents (Partei der Unabhängigen)
New Left (Nuova Sinistra–Neue Linke)
South Tyrolean Homeland Federation (Südtiroler Heimatbund)
Freedom Party of South Tyrol (Freiheitliche Partei Südtirols)
Democratic Party of South Tyrol (Demokratische Partei Südtirols)
Democratic Union of Alto Adige (Unione Democratica dell'Alto Adige)
Trentino
Alliance of Independents (Alleanza Indipendenti)
Craftsman-Farmer Alliance (Alleanza Contadina Artigiana)
New Left (Nuova Sinistra–Neue Linke)
Trentino Tyrolean People's Party (Partito Popolare Trentino Tirolese)
Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Union (Unione Autonomista Trentino Tirolese)
Integral Autonomy [old] (Autonomia Integrale)
Trentino Autonomy League (Lega Autonomia Trentino)
Alliance for Trentino (Alleanza per il Trentino)
Integral Autonomy (Autonomia Integrale)
Trentino Autonomists (Autonomisti Trentini)
Trentino Tomorrow (Trentino Domani)
Daisy Civic List (Civica Margherita)
Democrats for Trentino (Democratici per il Trentino)
Loyal to Trentino (Leali al Trentino)
United Valleys (Valli Unite)
Veneto
Union of the Venetian People (Union del Popolo Veneto)
Venetian Autonomy League (Lega Autonomia Veneta)
Together for Veneto (Insieme per il Veneto)
Toward North (Verso Nord)
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
List for Trieste (Lista per Trieste)
Friuli Movement (Movimento Friûl)
Friuli-Venezia Giulia Autonomist Party (Partito Autonomista Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
Reformist Popular Centre (Centro Riformatore Popolare)
Freedom and Autonomy (Libertà e Autonomia)
Friuli Union (Unione Friuli)
Giulian Front (Fronte Giuliano)
Tuscany
More Tuscany (Più Toscana)
Marche
Marche 2020 (Marche 2020)
Molise
Progressive People's Party of Christian Inspiration (Partito Popolare Progressista di Ispirazione Cristiana)
Democratic Participation (Partecipazione Democratica)
Campania
Democratic Populars (Popolari Democratici)
Forward Campania (Forza Campania)
Apulia
Moderates and Populars (Moderati e Popolari)
Southern Action League (Lega d'Azione Meridionale)
I the South (Io Sud)
Basilicata
The Democrats (I Democratici)
Calabria
Mancini List (Lista Mancini)
Southern Democratic Party (Partito Democratico Meridionale)
Sicily
Sicilian Independence Movement (Movimento Indipendentista Siciliano)
Autonomist Independentist Liberal Sicilian Union (Unione Siciliana Liberale Indipendentista Autonomista)
Sicilian Autonomist and Independentist Concentration (Concentrazione Autonomista ed Indipendentista Siciliana)
Social Christian Sicilian Union (Unione Siciliana Cristiano Sociale)
Sicilian Spring (Primavera Siciliana)
New Sicily (Nuova Sicilia)
Sicilian Alliance (Alleanza Siciliana)
Autonomist Democrats (Democratici Autonomisti)
Sicilian People's Movement (Movimento Popolare Siciliano)
Reformist Democrats for Sicily (Democratici Riformisti per la Sicilia)
Article Four (Articolo Quattro)
The Megaphone – Crocetta List (Il Megafono – Lista Crocetta)
Sardinia
Sardinian Socialist Action Party (Partito Sardo d'Azione Socialista)
Independentist Sardinian Party (Partidu Sardu Indipendentista)
New Movement (Nuovo Movimento)
Democratic Federation (Federazione Democratica)
Sardinian People's Party (Partito del Popolo Sardo)
Sardinia Project (Progetto Sardegna)
Sardinia Tomorrow (Sardegna Domani)
Former parties having garnered at least 15% in one constituency in a general election or having had at least 1 MP:
For Italy in the World (Per l'Italia nel Mondo)
Italian Associations in South America (Associazioni Italiane in Sud America)
Parliamentary groups not directly connected to a political party or coalition of political parties:
Autonomist Group (Gruppo Autonomista)
National Union (Unione Nazionale)
Independents of the Left (Indipendenti di Sinistra)
Ecologist European Federalist Group (Gruppo Federalista Europeo Ecologista)
Independent Left (Sinistra Indipendente)
Democratic Left (Sinistra Democratica)
People and Territory (Popolo e Territorio)
National Cohesion (Coesione Nazionale)
For the Third Pole (Per il Terzo Polo)
For Italy (Per l'Italia)
