The Union (Italy)

The Union
L'Unione
LeaderRomano Prodi
Founded11 October 2004
Dissolved8 February 2008
Preceded byThe Olive Tree (1996 and 2001 general elections)
HeadquartersPiazza SS. Apostoli, 55
Rome
Political positionCentre-left[1][2][3]

The Union (Italian: L'Unione) was a heterogenous centre-left political and electoral alliance of political parties in Italy. The Union was the direct heir of The Olive Tree coalition which represented the centre-left in the 1996 and 2001 general elections. However, The Union also included parties of the radical left, which were not affiliated with The Olive Tree. The Union was led by Romano Prodi, Prime Minister of Italy from May 2006 to May 2008, and former President of the European Commission. Collapsing in the wake of the 2008 Italian political crisis, the alliance was succeeded by the current-day centre-left coalition.

  1. ^ Daniele Albertazzi (2009). "Glossary". In Daniele Albertazzi (ed.). Resisting the Tide: Cultures of Opposition Under Berlusconi (2001–06). Continuum. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-8264-9291-3.
  2. ^ Ilvo Diamanti (2013). "The Italian Centre-Right and Centre-Left: Between Parties and the Party". In Martin Bull; Martin Rhodes (eds.). Italy – A Contested Polity. Routledge. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-317-96809-2.
  3. ^ Daniele Albertazzi; Duncan McDonnell (2015). "Forza Italia and the Popolo della Libertà". Populists in Power. Taylor & Francis. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-317-53502-7.