Daisy-Democracy is Freedom (full name in Italian: Democrazia è Libertà – La Margherita: 'Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy') is a political party in Italy. It is a centrist party consisting of the former Partito Popolare Italiano , Democratici and Rinnovamento Italiano . It ran for election in 2001 as an alliance and part of the Olive Tree Coalition. Later the constituent parties merged into one party. It combines liberal parties forces (like the old Democratici and Rinnovamento Italiano) with centrist christian democrats.
an election campaign street stall for the Margherita Party in Milan, 2004
The party president is Francesco Rutelli, formerly Rome's Mayor. They are a liberal party and pro-European. Though part of the Olive Tree, which is usually associated with the Party of European Socialists, the Democratici were a member of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party, and the Partito Popolare Italiano was a member of the European People's Party. After the 2004 European elections the merged party decided not to become a member of either the ELDR or the EPP, but formed together with the French UDF the European Democratic Party. In the European Parliament the Margherita joined the group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.
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