| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
The 2017 Italian Left leadership election was a congressional primary election held on 17,18 and 19 February 2017.[1]
The Italian Left is a left-wing party of Italy.[2] It was launched in November 2015 as a parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies, mainly including Left Ecology Freedom, dissidents from the Democratic Party (see Future to the Left) and splinters from the Five Star Movement.[3] In February 2017 it was officially born as a party.
The two main candidates were Nicola Fratoianni and Arturo Scotto. Fratoianni was a member of the Communist Refoundation Party and then of Nichi Vendola's Left Ecology Freedom, of which he became Coordinator. He is considered the leader of the left-wing faction, which opposes an alliance with the centre-left Democratic Party. Fratoianni's aim is to create a left-wing to far-left party inspired by the Greek Syriza of Alexis Tsipras and the Spanish Podemos of Pablo Iglesias Turrión.[4][5]
Arturo Scotto was a member of the social-democratic Democrats of the Left (predecessor of the centre-left Democratic Party) and then of Left Ecology Freedom. He is considered the leader of the right-wing faction, who supports an alliance with the Democratic Party and the creation of a centre-left coalition.[6] Scotto always denied an alliance with the Democrats if their leader will remain the former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who is considered too centrist and liberal.[7]
On 2 February 2017, Scotto announced the withdrawal of his candidature due to the primary rules, which prevented the popular vote.[8] After a few days Scotto left the party, along with 18 deputies.[9]
Portrait | Name | Most recent position | Refs | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nicola Fratoianni (1972–) |
Member of the Chamber of Deputies (2013–present) Other positions
|
[10][11] | ||
Arturo Scotto (1979–) |
Member of the Chamber of Deputies (2013–2018) Other positions
|
[12][13] |
Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Nicola Fratoianni | 503 | 94.0% | |
Against | 32 | 6.0% | |
Abstentions | 28 | – | |
Total | 563 | 100.0 |