A Democratic Party is next-to-come in my country: it will be progressive, a merge of italian social-democratic and social Catholic tradition and cultures.

A party that looks at your American Democratic Party as a big partner for the global challenges, as expressed in the much appreciated discourse by Mr. Dean at the Congress of the Democrats of the Left in Italy last 21 April.

Madfloridian reported the event in her journal, here at
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...

In the Manifesto the Italian Democratic Party declares that
“We, the democrats, love Italy. We love the rich humanity of its people; its unique patrimony of history, arts and culture; the weaving of gorgeous cities and landscape that have, for centuries, attracted travellers from everywhere. We love the deep attitude of hospitality and solidarity of the Italians, their attention to quality life, their extraordinary ability to produce things the world loves.”

“We democrats trust Italy. Because it’s a vital, creative, active country, with an enterprising spirit. A country that contributed to the welfare of many other nations thanks to the creativeness and tenacity of so many of our country fellows.”
(My translation, nothing official)

Democracy beat the Nazi-fascist and communist systems, states the manifesto using the word “totalitarismo”.
But the challenges we have to face today are also first rate ones.

Democracy is often prisoner of solid privileges, instead of supporting the hopes of the weakest. It has improved life and cultural exchange but is mostly limited within the national limits. It appears feeble when facing global phenomena like those regarding environment and climate change, terrorism, conflicting areas, demographic unbalance, migratory dynamics, inequality among planet areas, economical interests threatening the sovereignty of weak countries and depressing their economic and civil development.

A change in the development model is needed, according to the manifesto, to grant the future generations a good chance to live and prosper.

Basically, the Italian DP overcomes the cold-war divisions between catholics and socialists. But in so doing, it suggests a new point of view for europeans too: progressives parties movements on one side, conservative right-wing parties and movements on the other.

The battleground is everywhere: on Welfare, Job quality, Poverty, Women, Middle East, relationships with growing economies like China, India and Russia, Education, Environment, Communication. The conservative are always there with the worst agenda to realize.

That's why our Secretary of the Democratic of the Left (one of the co-founder parties) said: to be democratic today means to be a socialist, a progressist. And the reverse. As the challenge, today, is on the basics of democracy. Worldwide.

Progressive movements and parties must be inclusive and so a change is needed in the Socialist International and in the European Socialist Party, who last month visited a delegation of Democratic representatives in the USA and that invited Dean in Autumn 2006, as you see in Madfloridian Journal, here http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...

The election of Sarkozy and the third chance in a row lost by socialists for the Presidency in France shows once more that socialism alone doesn't win. And it's old fashioned, too.

14 October 2007 the first and founding convention for the Italian Democratic Party will take place. Let’s hope it all goes for the best!

Ciao!