European Liberal Democrats

{{for|the former European Parliament group|European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group}}

{{Infobox political party

| name = European Liberal Democrats

| native_name = Liberali Democratici Europei

| logo =

| logo_size =

| colorcode = {{Political party data|color}}

| abbreviation = LDE

| founders = Giuseppe Benedetto
Alessandro De Nicola
Oscar Giannino
Sandro Gozi

| leader1_title = Secretary

| leader1_name = Piero Cecchinato

| leader2_title = President

| leader2_name = Andrea Marcucci

| founded = {{Start date and age|2023|1|14|df=y}}

| headquarters = {{ubl|Via della Conciliazione, 10|00193 Rome}}

| ideology = Liberalism

| position = Centre

| national = United States of Europe (2024)
PLD (2025–)

| european = Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

| colors = {{color box|{{party color|European Liberal Democrats}}|border=darkgray}} Blue and {{color box|#FED116|border=darkgray}} Yellow

| seats1_title = Chamber of Deputies

| seats1 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house|percent=yes}}

| seats2_title = Senate

| seats2 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-upper-house|percent=yes}}

| seats3_title = European Parliament

| seats3 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP|percent=yes}}

| website = {{Political party data|website}}

| country = Italy

}}

The European Liberal Democrats ({{langx|it|Liberali Democratici Europei}}, LDE), often referred to as the European LibDems (stylised in Italian as: libdem europei){{Cite web |title=Liberali Democratici Europei |url=https://www.aldeparty.eu/libdem_europei |access-date=2024-04-13 |website=ALDE Party |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=libdem europei (@libdem europei) |url=https://twitter.com/libdemeuropei |access-date=13 April 2024 |website=Twitter}} is a liberal political party in Italy.

History

File:Logo of the European Liberal Democrats.png

On 14 January 2023, a liberal constituent assembly was held at the San Fedele Auditorium in Milan with the aim of bringing together all the Italian liberal parties for the next European elections. The event was organized by its founders Giuseppe Benedetto, President of the Fondazione Luigi Einaudi, Sandro Gozi, MEP for Renew Europe, Alessandro De Nicola, President of the Adam Smith Society, and Oscar Giannino, former leader of Act to Stop the Decline.{{Cite news |title=Una Costituente libdem per uscire dal pantano del continuismo |url=https://www.ilfoglio.it/politica/2023/01/13/news/una-costituente-libdem-per-uscire-dal-pantano-del-continuismo-4847079/ |last=Giannino |first=Oscar |date=2023-01-13 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240419133219/https://www.ilfoglio.it/politica/2023/01/13/news/una-costituente-libdem-per-uscire-dal-pantano-del-continuismo-4847079/ |archive-date=19 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-19 |url-status=live |work=Il Foglio |language=it |trans-title=A Lib Dem Constituent to break out of the quagmire of continuism |format=}}{{Cite news |title=Liberali, democratici, europei - La costituente LibDem di Milano è l’occasione per riunire i riformatori italiani in un unico partito |url=https://www.linkiesta.it/2022/12/la-costituente-libdem-di-milano-e-loccasione-per-riunire-i-riformatori-italiani-in-un-unico-partito/ |last=Fioravanti |first=Andrea |date=2022-12-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529080309/https://www.linkiesta.it/2022/12/la-costituente-libdem-di-milano-e-loccasione-per-riunire-i-riformatori-italiani-in-un-unico-partito/ |archive-date=29 May 2023 |access-date=2024-04-19 |url-status=live |work=Linkiesta |language=it |trans-title=Liberals, Democrats, Europeans - The Lib Dem constituent in Milan is an opportunity to unite Italian reformers into a single party}} More than 40 speakers participated in the convention, including Carlo Calenda, Matteo Renzi, Benedetto Della Vedova, Marco Cappato, Luigi Marattin, and many others. At the end of the convention, the statute of the European Liberal Democrats Constituent was approved, to which the Liberal Democratic Alliance for Italy (ALI) and other minor parties and associations have joined, which explicitly provides for the creation of a single Italian liberal party, with the promotion of a democratic and competitive congress, that it will be the home of classical liberalism as well, and that it will have as its reference point the pursuit of the United States of Europe.{{cite news |title=Parte a Milano la costituente liberale per riunire tutti i riformisti |url=https://www.linkiesta.it/2023/01/milano-libdem-riformisti-liberal-democratici-de-nicola/ |access-date=24 April 2023 |work=Linkiesta.it |date=14 January 2023 |language=it-IT}}{{cite news |title=L’incoraggiante incontro dei liberali a Milano che porterà alla fondazione di un partito unitario |url=https://www.linkiesta.it/2023/01/liberali-milano-partito-riformisti/ |access-date=24 April 2023 |work=Linkiesta.it |date=16 January 2023 |language=it-IT}}{{cite news |title=Una Costituente libdem per uscire dal pantano del continuismo |url=https://www.ilfoglio.it/politica/2023/01/13/news/una-costituente-libdem-per-uscire-dal-pantano-del-continuismo-4847079/ |access-date=24 April 2023 |work=www.ilfoglio.it |language=it}}{{cite web |title=Statuto |url=https://libdemeuropei.it/statuto/ |access-date=18 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930072130/https://libdemeuropei.it/statuto/ |archive-date=30 September 2023 |url-status=dead}}

On 30 January, the regional councillor of Lombardy, Gianmarco Senna, who had exited the Lega on 24 November 2022, joined the party.{{cite news |last1=Ferraris |first1=Alissiia |title=Adesione Senna costituente liberali democratici europei |url=https://libdemeuropei.it/adesione-senna-costituente-liberali-democratici-europei/ |access-date=24 April 2023 |work=Liberali Democratici Europei |date=30 January 2023 |language=it-IT}} During the 2023 Lombard regional election few candidates for the Regional Council, including Senna, ran in the lists of Letizia Moratti, then LDE endorsed Alessandro Maran's candidacy for the 2023 Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional election, and for the 2023 Italian local elections LDE supported Paolo Cianfoni's candidacy at Terni.{{cite news |title=Verso una Lombardia liberaldemocratica - Evento online con Letizia Moratti |url=https://libdemeuropei.it/verso-una-lombardia-liberaldemocratica-evento-online-con-letizia-moratti/ |access-date=24 April 2023 |work=Liberali Democratici Europei |date=31 January 2023 |language=it-IT}}{{cite news |title="Una Regione da Oscar", i Liberali Democratici Europei incontrano Maran |url=https://www.triesteprima.it/politica/liberali-democratici-europei-maran.html |access-date=24 April 2023 |work=TriestePrima |language=it}}{{cite news |title=Terni, elenco candidati Lista Alleanza degli Innovatori |url=https://www.umbriajournal.com/politica/terni-elenco-candidati-lista-alleanza-degli-innovatori-507555/ |access-date=24 April 2023 |work=umbriajournal.com |date=15 April 2023 |language=it-IT}}

After the breakup of the alliance between Action and Italia Viva, LDE confirmed they would keep working to establish a unitary liberal list for the upcoming European Parliament election.{{cite web |last1=Caterisano |first1=Pasquale |title=LIBERAL DEMOCRATICI EUROPEI: continueremo a lavorare per questo progetto |url=https://libdemeuropei.it/liberal-democratici-europei-continueremo-a-lavorare-per-questo-progetto/ |website=Liberali Democratici Europei |access-date=24 April 2023 |language=it-IT |date=18 April 2023}}

On 22 April Andrea Marcucci, the former leader of the Democratic Party (PD) in the Senate, left the PD due to disagreement with the political line traced by new secretary Elly Schlein and subsequently his entry in LDE, stating that his goal is to achieve a federation among liberal parties.{{cite news |title=Marcucci lascia il Pd e guarda al Terzo polo: "Aderirò a Libdem Europei, lavoro per la federezione" |url=https://www.fanpage.it/politica/andrea-marcucci-lascia-il-partito-democratico-e-guarda-al-terzo-polo/ |access-date=24 April 2023 |work=Fanpage |language=it}}{{Cite web |last=Torchiaro |first=Aldo |date=2023-04-15 |title=Marcucci lascia il Pd ed entra nei Liberali e Democratici europei |url=https://www.ilriformista.it/marcucci-lascia-il-pd-ed-entra-nei-liberali-e-democratici-europei-352665/ |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=Il Riformista |language=it-IT}}

LDE joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party as a full member{{Cite news |title=I partiti europei esistono, ma si notano poco |url=https://pagellapolitica.it/articoli/partiti-europei-parlamento-elezioni-2024 |last=Negri |first=Matteo |date=2024-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419131403/https://pagellapolitica.it/articoli/partiti-europei-parlamento-elezioni-2024 |archive-date=19 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-19 |url-status=live |work=Pagella Politica |language=it |trans-title=European parties exist, but are hardly noticed |format=}} on 21 October 2023.https://www.aldeparty.eu/alde_party_council_welcomes_new_members_in_bucharest

In March 2024, in the run-up of the 2024 European Parliament election, the party was a founding member of a broad, liberal and pro-Europeanist list named "United States of Europe", along with More Europe, Italia Viva, the Italian Radicals and the Italian Socialist Party, in order to overcome the 4% electoral threshold.{{Cite news |title=Lista Stati Uniti d’Europa al 6,3%, Calenda poco sopra il 3%: i sondaggi, la mini-scissione e il rebus Cuffaro |url=https://www.ilriformista.it/lista-stati-uniti-deuropa-al-63-calenda-poco-sopra-il-3-i-sondaggi-la-mini-scissione-e-il-rebus-cuffaro-416998/ |last=Torchiaro |first=Aldo |date=2024-04-11 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240419150941/https://www.ilriformista.it/lista-stati-uniti-deuropa-al-63-calenda-poco-sopra-il-3-i-sondaggi-la-mini-scissione-e-il-rebus-cuffaro-416998/ |archive-date=19 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-19 |url-status=live |work=Il Riformista |language=it |trans-title=United States of Europe list at 6.3%, Calenda just above 3%: polls, mini-split and Cuffaro rebus}}{{Cite news |title=EU elections: Italian centre-left rallies behind ‘United States of Europe’ bid |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/eu-elections-italian-centre-left-rallies-behind-united-states-of-europe-bid/ |last=Pascale |first=Federica |date=2024-03-28 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240418222743/https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/eu-elections-italian-centre-left-rallies-behind-united-states-of-europe-bid/ |archive-date=18 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-19 |url-status=live |work=Euractiv |others=Euractiv.it |format=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2024/03/elezioni-europee-italia-viva-e--europa-uniti-al-centro-nasce-la-lista-stati-uniti-deuropa-9d21a509-6d20-45e5-8f67-eb7f0df15694.html|title=Elezioni europee, Italia Viva e + Europa uniti al centro, nascerà la lista "Stati Uniti d'Europa"|publisher=RaiNews|date=27 March 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.corriere.it/politica/24_marzo_27/italia-viva-europa-c-simbolo-stati-uniti-d-europa-siamo-lista-scopo-28cea254-ec71-11ee-add4-970da8b7bf13.shtml|title=Italia viva e +Europa, c'è il simbolo: Stati Uniti d'Europa.|publisher=Il Corriere della Sera|date=27 March 2024}} In late April the list was joined also by L'Italia c'è.https://www.rainews.it/tgr/lazio/articoli/2024/04/europee-dell8-e-9-giugno-stati-uniti-deuropa-presenta-i-capilista-d6e7af43-c364-4fa0-960e-1949d9652e8b.html

Following the failure at the European election, LDE founded in March 2025 the Liberal Democratic Party, together with NOS, led by Alessandro Tommasi, Liberal Horizons, led by Luigi Marattin, and the Liberal Forum, led by Piero Ruggi.{{cite news |title=Nasce l'8 marzo a Roma il partito liberaldemocratico |url=https://www.ilfoglio.it/politica/2025/03/07/news/nasce-l-8-marzo-a-roma-il-partito-liberaldemocratico-7497117/ |access-date=13 April 2025 |work=www.ilfoglio.it |language=it}}

Composition

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
colspan=2\|Parties !Main ideology !Leader(s)
bgcolor="#004C7E" \| \| Liberal Democratic Alliance for Italy (ALI) \| Liberism \| Flavio Pasotti

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"

colspan=2|Parties

!Main ideology

!Leader(s)

bgcolor="#004C7E" |

| Liberal Democratic Alliance for Italy (ALI)

| Liberism

| Flavio Pasotti

Furthermore, LDE comprises several small parties, movements, associations, and committees, such as Liberal Alternative, Liberal Building Site, Clubs Together for the South, Liberal Democratic Constituent Assembly, Italy-Atlantic Studies Centre, The House of the Liberals, LibDem, Liberal Moderates for Italy, European Liberal Democrats (registered by the Fondazione Luigi Einaudi in 2022{{cite web |last1=Maestri |first1=Gabriele |title=Liberali Democratici Europei, un aspirante marchio o un futuro partito? |url=https://www.isimbolidelladiscordia.it/2022/04/liberali-democratici-europei-un.html |website=I Simboli della Discordia |access-date=24 April 2023 |language=it}}), Milanese Free Europeans, New Horizon Italy, XX September, Yourope, and Liberal Liberists.{{cite web |title=Home |url=https://libdemeuropei.it/ |website=Liberali Democratici Europei |access-date=24 April 2023 |language=it-IT}}

Election results

=European Parliament=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! Election ! Leader ! Votes ! % ! Seats ! +/– ! EP Group
2024 \| Andrea Marcucci \| colspa="2" \|Into USE \| {{Composition bar\|0\|76\|hex={{party color\|European Liberal Democrats}}}} \| New \| –

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! Election

! Leader

! Votes

! %

! Seats

! +/–

! EP Group

2024

| Andrea Marcucci

| colspa="2" |Into USE

| {{Composition bar|0|76|hex={{party color|European Liberal Democrats}}}}