Centrists for Europe
Centrists for Europe is a Christian-democratic list of [political parties in Italy|political party in Italy]. The party was launched, as Centrists for Italy, by splinters from the Union of the Centre in December 2016 and officially founded, with its final name, in February 2017. Pier Ferdinando Casini is the incumbent leader of the party.
History
In the run-up of the 2016 Italian constitutional referendum, the Union of the Centre chose to campaign for "No", while the New Centre-Right, the UdC's counterpart in Popular Area, was among the keenest supporters of "Yes".After the referendum, which saw a huge defeat of the "Yes" side, the UdC left AP altogether. However, some UdC splinters, notably including Pier Ferdinando Casini, Gianpiero D'Alia and minister Gian Luca Galletti, launched "Centrists for Italy" and confirmed their alliance with the NCD within Popular Area.
The party was officially founded, with the current name, in February 2017. At the time the CpE included one minister, two deputies and three senators. Also former minister Francesco D'Onofrio joined the party.
In December 2017, the CpE launched the Popular Civic List, within the centre-left coalition, along with Popular Alternative, Italy of Values, Solidary Democracy, the Union for Trentino, Italy Is Popular and minor parties/groups. The new leader of AP, Beatrice Lorenzin, was chosen as leader of the list too.
In the 2018 Italian general election, CP obtained a mere 0.5% of the vote, far below the electoral thresholds, but Casini was re-elected to the Senate from a single-seat constituency in Bologna, thanks to the decisive support of the Democratic Party and the centre-left coalition. After the election, Casini sat with the heterogenous For the Autonomies group.
Later developments
After not taking part in the 2018 regional elections in Molise and those in Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional election|Friuli-Venezia Giulia], the party presented itself in the 2019 regional elections in Abruzzo with its own list in support of the centre-left candidate Giovanni Legnini, receiving 1.53% and no seats. In the 2019 Lucanian elections, CpE presented itself in a united list with Centro Democratico in support of the centre-left candidate Carlo Trerotola, collecting 3.30% without electing any councillors.However, the party didn't ran in the 2019 [European Parliament election in Italy|2019 European parliamentary election]s but Casini declared his support for the Partito Democratico-Siamo Europei list.
During the 2022 election, the party entered the Democratic Party – Democratic and [Progressive Italy] list, part of the centre-left coalition with Casini who was re-elected in the single-member constituency of Bologna.