Olive Tree
For information about the plant for which the political party is named, see Olive.Olive Tree (
Italian:
l'Ulivo) is a political denomination strongly related to
Third Way policies in Italy and commonly adopted by center-to-left alliances of parties from
1996 to now. The name was introduced by
Romano Prodi, professor of economics and former left-wing
Christian Democrat. It is now subsumed into the new coalition
L'Unione.
The Olive Tree participated in the
general election of
April 9 and
10,
2006, as confederation of three parties:
*
Democrats of the Left*
Daisy-Democracy is Freedom*
European Republican MovementThe
Olive Tree - together for Italy (
Italian:
l'Ulivo - insieme per l'Italia) was a coalition of left-wing and centrist political parties in
Italy. In
April 21 1996, the Olive Tree won general elections in alliance with the
Communist Refoundation Party, making
Romano Prodi Prime Minister of Italy. In
October 9 1998, the
Romano Prodi (1st Time) administration fell when the
Communist Refoundation Party left the alliance. In
October 21 1998 the Olive Tree was the core of the
Massimo D'Alema (1st Time) administration, in
December 22 1999 of the
Massimo D'Alema (2nd Time) administration and in
April 25 2000 of the
Giuliano Amato (2nd Time) administration. In
May 13 2001, led by
Francesco Rutelli, the coalition lost the general elections against
Silvio Berlusconi and his renewed center-to-right coalition, the
House of Freedoms (
Italian:
Casa delle Libertà).
 |
Uniti nell'Ulivo |
In
June 12 2004 the Olive Tree, as
United in the Olive Tree (
Italian:
Uniti nell'Ulivo), ran in European Parliament Elections 2004 gaining 31,1% of popular votes. The Olive Tree of 2004 was a more strict alliance of only 3 out of 8 former affiliate parties plus the small former non-aligned
European Republican Movement.
In
September 13 2004 the Olive Tree became the Federation of
United in the Olive Tree (
Italian:
Uniti nell'Ulivo) or, more shortly, the
FED, consisting of same four parties that campaigned together in the European elections that summer.
|
A street stall for the all United in the Olive Tree coalition, during campaigning for the European Parliament elections 2004, seen in Como, Italy. Note that the poster shows Romano Prodi and roundels (party electoral/ballot logos) for each of the constituent parties in the coalition. |
The Olive Tree Federation is led by
Romano Prodi and aims to be the core of a greater center-left coalition, called
The Union (
Italian:
L'Unione. Current member parties of the federation are:
*
Democrats of the Left (
Italian:
Democratici di Sinistra)
*
Daisy-Democracy is Freedom (
Italian:
Margherita - Democrazia è Libertà)
*
European Republican Movement (
Italian:
Movimento Repubblicani Europei)
On
February 10 2005, the new name and logo of the larger electoral coalition was presented. Its name is
L'Unione (
The Union). It comprises the Federation of the Olive Tree (4 parties) and all the left and centre parties allied with it (from Greens to Communists).
*
List of political parties in Italy*
l'Ulivo*
Uniti nell'Ulivo*
"Italy's Olive Tree" (1996) The Nation
