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''For information about the plant for which the political party is named, see Olive.''
'The Olive Tree' ('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; its name was introduced by Romano Prodi, professor of economics, former left-wing Christian Democrat, and current Italian Prime Minister. 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

★ Democracy is Freedom – Daisy

★ European Republican Movement

Contents

Olive Tree - together for Italy

United in the Olive Tree - for Europe

United in the Olive Tree

Towards the Democratic Party

See also

External links

Olive Tree - together for Italy

The 'Olive Tree - together for Italy' ('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'').

United in the Olive Tree - for Europe

In June 12 2004 the Olive Tree, as 'United in the Olive Tree ' ('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 (Democrats of the Left, Democracy is Freedom - Daisy and Italian Democratic Socialists) plus the European Republican Movement, a small new party.

United in the Olive Tree

In September 13 2004 the Olive Tree became the Federation of 'United in the Olive Tree' (''Uniti nell'Ulivo'') or, more shortly, the 'FED', consisting of same four parties that campaigned together in the European elections that summer.

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 (''Democratici di Sinistra'')

★ Daisy-Democracy is Freedom (''Margherita - Democrazia è Libertà'')

★ European Republican Movement (''Movimento Repubblicani Europei'')
On February 10 2005, the new name and logo of the larger electoral coalition was presented. Its name is The Union (''L'Unione''). It comprises the Federation of the Olive Tree (3 parties, after that the quit of the Italian Democratic Socialists) and all the centre-left parties allied with it (from Greens to Communists).
In 2006 general election, DS, DL and MRE formed a single list. Also the Italian Democratic Socialist Party (a different party from SDI) had candidates in the list.

Towards the Democratic Party

Currently, Democrats of the Left (DS) and Daisy are heavily involved in the foundation of a new centre-left Democratic Party, a project strongly supported and wished by current Italian PM Romano Prodi since his entering into politics.
Interest in joining a possible Democratic Party was shown also by other minor parties, such as Italy of Values and Italian Democratic Socialists, and some civil society movements. However, the left-wing of the Democrats of the Left does not support the idea at all, since its members mainly oppose to leave the Party of European Socialists. Moreover, the conservative wing of the Daisy, often referred to as ''centrists'' or ''teo-dem'', oppose in any form to join the PES at the European level, and instead wants explicit references to "Catholic roots" in the new party's statute.
The national assemblies of both DS and Daisy, held in late 2006, scheduled a founding convention for the Democratic Party to be held in the fall of 2007.

See also

★ List of political parties in Italy

External links

★ l'Ulivo

★ Uniti nell'Ulivo

★ "Italy's Olive Tree" (1996) The Nation