European Choice

European Choice
Scelta Europea
LeadersMichele Boldrin
Bruno Tabacci
Stefania Giannini
Founded4 March 2014
IdeologyLiberalism
Political positionCentre
European affiliationALDE
European Parliament groupNo MEPs
European Parliament
0 / 73
Website
www.sceltaeuropea.it

European Choice (Italian: Scelta Europea, SE) was a pro-European and primarily liberal electoral alliance of political parties in Italy formed to contest the 2014 European election on a platform influenced heavily by the Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt.

History

The list was supported by Civic Choice (SC), Democratic Centre (CD), Act to Stop the Decline (FFD), the Italian Liberal Party (PLI), the Italian Republican Party (PRI), the Liberal Democratic Alliance for Italy (ALI), the Conservatives and Social Reformers (CSR), the European Federalist Party (PFE) and miscellaneous minor movements.[1][2][3]

In early March 2014 the list received support from Guy Verhofstadt, former Prime Minister of Belgium and candidate of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the European Democratic Party for President of the European Commission,[4] and the endorsement of Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy, former President of the European Commission and former president of the Democratic Party.[5][6] Later, on 19 March, CD, FFD and other groups agreed to go forward with the creation of the list without SC [7] whose members criticised the deal and Verhofstadt himself.[8] In particular, senator Pietro Ichino explained that his party could not be part of a grouping so heterogeneous to include groups as diverse as the Conservatives and Social Reformers, whose MEP Cristiana Muscardini, a "nationalist", sat in the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, or MEP Sonia Alfano, a left-winger who had previously tried to join The Other Europe, a "far-left" anti-austerity list.[9] However, the list went ahead with the participation of SC (as originally planned) and the exclusion of Italy of Values, the main Italian member of the ALDE Party, and controversial candidates, including Muscardini and Alfano.

In the election SE received 0.7% of the vote, being stronger in the South (CD's heartland),[10] and failed to return any MEPs.[11]

Composition

Party Main ideology Leader
Civic Choice (SC) Liberalism Stefania Giannini
Democratic Centre (CD) Centrism Bruno Tabacci
Act to Stop the Decline (FFD) Economic liberalism Michele Boldrin
Conservatives and Social Reformers (CSR) Conservatism Cristiana Muscardini
Italian Liberal Party (PLI) Liberalism Enzo Palumbo
Italian Republican Party (PRI) Social liberalism Francesco Nucara
The Liberals Liberalism Edoardo Croci
Federation of Liberals (FdL) Liberalism Raffaello Morelli
Liberal Democratic Alliance for Italy (ALI) Liberism Silvia Enrico

Electoral results

European Parliament

Election year # of
overall votes
% of
overall vote
# of
overall seats won
+/– Leader
2014 197,942 (#9) 0.72
0 / 73

References

  1. ^ "Scelta europea: "An alternative to People's Party – Socialists alliance in power in Berlin" | Eunews.it". eunews.it. Archived from the original on 2014-05-09. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
  2. ^ "L'impegno di SC e dei movimenti liberal-democratici per le elezioni europee | Scelta Civica per l'Italia". sceltacivica.it. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
  3. ^ "Verhofstadt launches #EP2014 list 'Scelta Europea' in Italy | ALDE Party". aldeparty.eu. Archived from the original on 2014-03-10. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  4. ^ "Elezioni: Verhofstadt a Roma per Scelta europea - EurActiv.it". euractiv.it. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
  5. ^ "Romano Prodi battezza il vascello della Lista Alde alle Europee guidato da Boldrin, Tabacci e montiani doc - Formiche". formiche.net. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
  6. ^ "Ecco la lista arcobaleno degli ultra liberal-europeisti che (con Prodi e montiani doc) sfidano Popolari e Socialisti - Formiche". formiche.net. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
  7. ^ "Ecco il simbolo dell'alleanza liberal-democratica Alde fra Tabacci e Boldrin - Formiche". formiche.net. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  8. ^ "Monti deluso da Verhofstadt pro Tabacci: Scelta Civica verso una lista unica dei Liberali alle Europee? - Formiche". formiche.net. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  9. ^ "Addio a Tabacci e Boldrin, avanti tutta con liberali e riformatori doc. Parla Pietro Ichino (Scelta Civica) - Formiche". formiche.net. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  10. ^ "ALI | Alleanza Liberaldemocratica per l'Italia". www.alleanzaliberaldemocratica.it.
  11. ^ "Eligendo Archivio - Ministero dell'Interno DAIT". Archived from the original on 2014-08-16. Retrieved 2014-06-05.