More Europe

More Europe was launched in November 2017, seeking to participate in the 2018 general election within the centre-left coalition centred on the Democratic Party (PD).[9] The founding members were two liberal and distinctively pro-Europeanist parties: the Italian Radicals (RI), whose leading members included Emma Bonino (a former minister of International Commerce and Foreign Affairs), Riccardo Magi and Marco Cappato, and Forza Europa (FE), led by Benedetto Della Vedova, a former Radical elected in 2013 with Future and Freedom (FLI) and later transitated through Civic Choice (SC). The RI and FE were joined by individual members of the Civics and Innovators (CI) sub-group in the Chamber of Deputies, formed by former SC members (two CI deputies, Andrea Mazziotti and Stefano Dambruoso, were already involved with FE).

Angelo Bonelli, coordinator of the Federation of the Greens, had earlier proposed to the Radicals a joint list together with Progressive Camp (CP), a would-be party launched by Giuliano Pisapia, named "Ecology, Europe, Rights".[10] However, Pisapia announced that he would not participate in the election and declared CP's experience over, while the Radicals organised +Eu and the Greens would form an alternative list named Together.

In early January 2018 Bonino and Della Vedova announced that +Eu would run as a stand-alone list, due to technical reasons associated with the new electoral laws.[11] While the PD leadership was trying to find a solution to those problems,[12] on 4 January, Bruno Tabacci, leader of the centrist, mostly Christian-democratic and also pro-Europeanist Democratic Centre (CD), announced that his party would join the coalition +Eu, in alliance with the PD, in order to overcome those issues.[13][14][15][16] Later in January, +Eu was enlarged also to the Progressive Area (AP), a small left-wing party emerged from the dissolution of the aforementioned CP.[17][18]

The list won 2.6% of the vote in the election, falling short of the 3% threshold, but had three elects in single-seat constituencies (Bonino to the Senate, Magi and Tabacci to the Chamber) and one among Italians abroad (Alessandro Fusacchia, a Radical, in the European constituency). After the election, +Eu was part of the opposition to Giuseppe Conte's first government, composed of a coalition of the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the League.

In July 2018 +Eu started to organise itself as a full-fledged party. It was decided that a committee, presided by Gianfranco Spadaccia (a long-time Radical), would lead +Eu until the founding congress, scheduled for January 2019. The newly-formed committee appointed Della Vedova as coordinator.[19] In January 2019, at the congress, Della Vedova was elected secretary of +Eu with 55.7% of the vote, defeating Marco Cappato (30.2%) and Alessandro Fusacchia (14.1%).[20][21]

In February 2019 the party was admitted into the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party.[22]

In the run-up to the 2019 European Parliament election +Eu was joined by: Italy in Common (IiC), a green and progressive party led by Federico Pizzarotti;[23][24][25] the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), a minor social-democratic party, member of the Party of European Socialists (PES);[26][27] the Italian Republican Party (PRI);[28][29] the Italian section of the European Democratic Party (EDP/PDE), led by Francesco Rutelli; and, in the North-East, Team Köllensperger (TK), a liberal party from South Tyrol, observer member of the ALDE Party.[30] The slates included, along with Bonino and Della Vedova: David Borrelli and Daniela Aiuto, two MEPs both originally elected with the M5S; Federica Sabbati, a former secretary-general of the ALDE Party; and art critic Philippe Daverio.[31][32][33]

In the election the party obtained 3.1% of the vote, falling short of the 4% threshold, and, thus, no MEPs.

In August 2019 tensions grew within the coalition supporting the government, leading to the issuing of a motion of no-confidence by the League.[34] During the following government crisis, the M5S and the PD agreed to form a new cabinet together, under Conte.[35] In September, +Eu decided not to support the newly-formed Conte II Cabinet, despite opposition by Tabacci, Magi and Fusacchia.[36][37] The three voted in favour of the government in the Chamber, while Bonino voted against in the Senate.[38]

Consequently, Tabacci led CD, which had continued to be active as an associate party, out of +Eu.[39][40] However, some leading members of CD, notably including Fabrizio Ferrandelli, chose to stay within +Eu.[41] Della Vedova reassured that the party would continue activity also after CD's departure.[42]

In October, also Fusacchia announced he was leaving the party, which was left with only one deputy.[43]

• Secretary: Benedetto Della Vedova (2019–present)
• President: Bruno Tabacci (2019), Simona Viola (2019–present)

• Coordinator: Benedetto Della Vedova (2018–2019)
  • Deputy Coordinator: Bruno Tabacci (2018–2019), Massimiliano Iervolino (2018–2019)
• Administrator: Silvja Manzi (2018–2019)
• President: Gianfranco Spadaccia (2018–2019)