Centrists for Europe

{{Infobox political party

| name = Centrists for Europe

| native_name = Centristi per l'Europa

| colorcode = lightblue

| logo = Centristi per l'Europa.svg

| logo_size = 160px

| leader = Pier Ferdinando Casini

| leader1_title = Coordinator

| leader1_name = Gianpiero D'Alia

| foundation = {{start date and age|2016|12|06|df=y}} (launched)
{{start date and age|2017|02|11|df=y}} (founded)

| dissolution =

| split = Union of the Centre

| ideology = Christian democracy
Pro-Europeanism

| position = Centre

| national = Centre-left coalition

| seats2_title = Senate{{efn|One senator sits within the Democratic Party – Democratic and Progressive Italy group.}}

| seats2 ={{composition bar|1|206|hex={{party color|Centrists for Europe}}}}

| website =

| country = Italy

}}

Centrists for Europe ({{langx|it|Centristi per l'Europa}}; CpE) is a Christian-democratic political party in Italy. The party was launched, as Centrists for Italy ({{langx|it|Centristi per l'Italia}}; CpI), by splinters from the Union of the Centre in December 2016 and officially founded, with its final name, in February 2017.[http://www.huffingtonpost.it/2017/02/11/casini-centristi-per-leuropa_n_14689812.html Centristi per l'Europa, l'irriducibile Casini vuole rifare la Dc con molto Sud e tante vecchie glorie.] Pier Ferdinando Casini is the incumbent leader of the party.[http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2016/12/06/area-popolare-si-spacca-dopo-il-referendum-udc-lesperienza-forse-mai-decollata-si-conclude-qui/3241732/ Area Popolare si spacca dopo il referendum. Udc: “L’esperienza, forse mai decollata, si conclude qui”]

History

In the run-up of the 2016 Italian constitutional referendum, the Union of the Centre (UdC) chose to campaign for "No", while the New Centre-Right, the UdC's counterpart in Popular Area (AP), was among the keenest supporters of "Yes".https://www.corriere.it/referendum-costituzionale-2016/notizie/referendum-costituzionale-2016-risultati-860b84aa-ba6a-11e6-99a2-8ca865283c9e.shtml

After the referendum, which saw a huge defeat of the "Yes" side, the UdC left AP altogether. However, some UdC splinters, notably including Pier Ferdinando Casini, Gianpiero D'Alia (who had previously launched Centrists for Sicily) and minister Gian Luca Galletti, launched "Centrists for Italy" and confirmed their alliance with the NCD within Popular Area.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/fuggi-fuggi-senato-i-centristi-guardano-fi-e-alfano-resta-1339873.html|title = Fuggi fuggi al Senato: I centristi guardano a Fi. E Alfano resta da solo|date = 7 December 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.ilgiornaleditalia.org/news/politica/883499/-Alfano-succube-di-Renzi-.html |title="Alfano succube di Renzi, ce ne andiamo" - giornaleditalia |website=www.ilgiornaleditalia.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161207170147/http://www.ilgiornaleditalia.org/news/politica/883499/-Alfano-succube-di-Renzi-.html |archive-date=2016-12-07}} {{Cite web|url=http://www.ilvelino.it/it/article/2016/12/07/area-popolare-gruppi-di-camera-e-senato-cambiano-denominazione/c8b7f85f-16dd-4dc3-ac45-f2ab8f5ceffa/|title = Articolo dall'Archivio Storico}}

The party was officially founded, with the current name, in February 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2017-02-11/nasce-centristi-l-europa-casini-ministro-galletti-e-d-alia-170309.shtml?uuid=AEopMuT|title = Nasce "Centristi per l'Europa". Con Casini, il ministro Galletti e d'Alia| date=11 February 2017 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.it/2017/02/11/casini-centristi-per-leuropa_n_14689812.html|title=Casini ci riprova con la DC|date=11 February 2017}} At the time the CpE included one minister (Galletti, who had been confirmed in the Gentiloni Cabinet in December), two deputies (D'Alia and Ferdinando Adornato) and three senators (Casini, Aldo Di Biagio and Luigi Marino).{{Cite web|url=http://formiche.net/2017/02/02/area-popolare-casini-alfano-renzi/|title = Ecco mosse, progetti e dubbi di Area Popolare su Renzi e voto anticipato|date = 2 February 2017}} Also former minister Francesco D'Onofrio joined the party.

In December 2017, the CpE launched the Popular Civic List (CP), within the centre-left coalition, along with Popular Alternative (AP), Italy of Values (IdV), Solidary Democracy (DemoS), the Union for Trentino (UpT), Italy Is Popular (IP) and minor parties/groups. The new leader of AP, Beatrice Lorenzin, was chosen as leader of the list too.{{Cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2017/12/29/news/nasce_la_lista_centrista_alleata_col_pd_sara_guidata_da_lorenzin-185423728|title = Elezioni, Renzi attacca "l'innaturale alleanza popolari-populisti". Orlando chiede scelte condivise|date = 29 December 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2017/12/29/centrosinistra-ce-anche-il-terzo-mini-alleato-del-pd-civica-popolare-guidata-dalla-lorenzin-simbolo-una-margherita/4065143/|title=Centrosinistra, c'è anche il terzo mini-alleato del Pd: Civica Popolare guidata dalla Lorenzin. Simbolo? Una margherita – Il Fatto Quotidiano|date=2017-12-29|work=Il Fatto Quotidiano|access-date=2018-01-01|language=it-IT}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2017-12-29/nasce-civica-popolare-lista-centrista-il-pd-lorenzin-guida--132250.shtml|title = Nasce "Civica Popolare", lista centrista alleata con il Pd: Lorenzin alla guida}}

In the 2018 Italian general election, CP obtained a mere 0.5% of the vote,{{cite web|title=Risultati elezioni politiche del 4 marzo 2018: i dati del Viminale|url=https://www.today.it/politica/elezioni/politiche-2018/risultati-finali-elezioni-politiche-2018-viminale.html|website=Today|date=5 March 2018}} far below the electoral thresholds, but Casini was re-elected to the Senate from a single-seat constituency in Bologna, thanks to the decisive support of the Democratic Party and the centre-left coalition.{{cite news|title=Elezioni 4 marzo, i risultati a Bologna e provincia. Casini eletto, boom M5S e Lega|url=https://www.ilrestodelcarlino.it/bologna/politica/elezioni-politiche-italiane-2018-risultati-d4587981|newspaper=Il Resto del Carlino|date=4 March 2018}} After the election, Casini sat with the heterogenous For the Autonomies group.{{cite news|title=Casini, eletto col Pd va al Gruppo ‘Autonomie’: “Per fare il vice al Senato? Ridicolo, non ho bisogno di seggiole”|url=https://www.bing.com/search?q=2018%20casini%20gruppo%20per%20le%20autonomie&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&ghc=1&lq=0&pq=2018%20casini%20gruppo%20per%20le%20autonomie&sc=12-35&sk=&cvid=AFA77FB4825840DCBF45FF16439D55B4|date=27 March 2018}}

= Later developments =

After not taking part in the 2018 regional elections in Molise and those in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the party presented itself in the 2019 regional elections in Abruzzo with its own list in support of the centre-left candidate Giovanni Legnini, receiving 1.53% and no seats. In the 2019 Lucanian elections, CpE presented itself in a united list with Centro Democratico in support of the centre-left candidate Carlo Trerotola, collecting 3.30% without electing any councillors.

However, the party didn't ran in the 2019 European parliamentary elections but Casini declared his support for the Partito Democratico-Siamo Europei list.

During the 2022 election, the party entered the Democratic Party – Democratic and Progressive Italy list, part of the centre-left coalition with Casini who was re-elected in the single-member constituency of Bologna.

Electoral results

=Italian Parliament=

class=wikitable style="width:50%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"
colspan=7\|Chamber of Deputies
width=13%\|Election year ! width=16%\|Votes ! width=6%\|% ! width=1%\|Seats ! width=8%\|+/− ! width=18%\|Leader
2018 \| into CP \| 0.54 \| {{Composition bar\|0\|630\|hex=lightblue}} \| {{center\|–}} \| {{center\|Pier Ferdinando Casini}}

class=wikitable style="width:50%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"

colspan=7|Chamber of Deputies

width=13%|Election year

! width=16%|Votes

! width=6%|%

! width=1%|Seats

! width=8%|+/−

! width=18%|Leader

2018

| into CP

| 0.54

| {{Composition bar|0|630|hex=lightblue}}

| {{center|–}}

| {{center|Pier Ferdinando Casini}}

class=wikitable style="width:50%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"
colspan=7\|Senate of the Republic
width=13%\|Election year ! width=16%\|Votes ! width=6%\|% ! width=1%\|Seats ! width=8%\|+/− ! width=18%\|Leader
2018 \| into CP \| 0.52 \| {{Composition bar\|1\|315\|hex=lightblue}} \| {{center\|–}} \| {{center\|Pier Ferdinando Casini}}

class=wikitable style="width:50%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"

colspan=7|Senate of the Republic

width=13%|Election year

! width=16%|Votes

! width=6%|%

! width=1%|Seats

! width=8%|+/−

! width=18%|Leader

2018

| into CP

| 0.52

| {{Composition bar|1|315|hex=lightblue}}

| {{center|–}}

| {{center|Pier Ferdinando Casini}}

=Regional Councils=

class=wikitable style="width:50%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"
width=19%\|Region !width=13%\|Election year !width=16%\|Votes !width=7%\|% !width=1%\|Seats !width=6%\|+/−
Sicily ! 2017 \| 80,366 (10th){{efn\|In a joint list with AP.}} \| 4.2 \| {{Composition bar\|0\|70\|hex=lightblue}} \| {{center\|–}}
Abruzzo ! 2019 \| 7,839 (13th) \| 1.3 \| {{Composition bar\|0\|31\|hex=lightblue}} \| {{center\|–}}

class=wikitable style="width:50%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"

width=19%|Region

!width=13%|Election year

!width=16%|Votes

!width=7%|%

!width=1%|Seats

!width=6%|+/−

Sicily

! 2017

| 80,366 (10th){{efn|In a joint list with AP.}}

| 4.2

| {{Composition bar|0|70|hex=lightblue}}