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Union of Democrats for Europe

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The Union of Democrats for Europe ( Italian : Unione Democratici per l'Europa , UDEUR ), also known as UDEUR Populars ( Popolari UDEUR ), was a minor centrist , Christian-democratic political party in Italy .

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33-742: Led by Clemente Mastella , minister of Labour in Berlusconi I Cabinet (1994–1995), minister of Justice in Prodi II Cabinet (2006–2008) and current mayor of Benevento (since 2016), the party has been at times very strong in Southern Italy , but almost irrelevant in Northern Italy . After a decline in terms of popularity in 2007–2008, the party resisted only in Campania , Mastella's heartland, and few other regions. The party

66-658: A coalition with Mastella, citing too many differences in their political programmes. After failing to secure a coalition with any other political party, Mastella decided to quit the electoral competition on 7 March 2008, as the Italian electoral system subjects political parties not a part of a coalition to thresholds of 4% and 8% for the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic, respectively. From 1999 to 2004, Mastella

99-542: A new political party in order to compete in countrywide elections: Us of the Centre ( Noi di Centro ). Clemente Mastella Mario Clemente Mastella (born 5 February 1947) is an Italian politician who has been the mayor of Benevento since 20 June 2016. He also served as leader of the Union of Democrats for Europe (UDEUR), a minor centrist and Christian-democratic Italian party. Mastella, who began his career in

132-420: A political and personal point of view". Prodi rejected the resignation. On 17 January 2008, Mastella said again that he was resigning. Prodi was to temporarily take over his portfolio. In 2017, Mastella was cleared of charges. Despite having earlier said that he would support Prodi's government without participating in it, Mastella said on 21 January 2008 that his party was ending its support, thereby depriving

165-514: A regional list named Us Campanians (NC) in support of centre-left coalition incumbent president Vincenzo De Luca for his re-election campaign. In 2021, he was re-elected mayor of Benevento through civic lists . In 1975, Mastella married Sandra Lonardo, a native of Benevento whom he met during a visit to an uncle in Oyster Bay, New York , where she spent a good part of her youth. They have two son, Elio and Pellegrino. Source: Ministry of

198-570: A thesis on Antonio Gramsci , and later became a journalist. His career as a journalist and his beginnings in political life have been widely described by himself in various interviews, cited for example in the book La casta by Sergio Rizzo and Gian Antonio Stella, where his hiring at the RAI , Italy's public broadcasting, had been helped by a recommendation from the DC politician Ciriaco De Mita . The local editorial office where Mastella took office proclaimed

231-540: A three-day strike against the entry into the role of a journalist hired without regular competition and for direct political appointment. In 1976, Mastella was elected to the Chamber of Deputies as a member of the DC party. In 1986, he became mayor of Ceppaloni , a position he held until 1992 and again from 2003 to 2008. From 1989 to 1992, he was the Secretary of State to the Ministry of Defence . From 1993 to 1994, he

264-546: The Christian Democracy (DC) party, being elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1976, is known for his trasformismo , changing over his career many political parties and affiliations. Mastella was Minister of Labour and Social Policies in the first Berlusconi government from 10 May 1994 to 17 January 1995 and Minister of Justice in the second Prodi government from 17 May 2006 to 17 January 2008. During

297-545: The Christian Democrats for the Republic (CDR), then Democratic Union for the Republic (UDR). This new political party, which supported the new centre-left coalition government led by Massimo D'Alema , lasted one year. In 1999, Mastella took over the leadership of UDEUR and was elected to the European Parliament. In 2005, Mastella took part in the centre-left coalition's primary election for

330-649: The European People's Party – European Democrats (EPP–ED) group. At the 2005 regional elections the party had its best result ever, having scored 10.3% in Campania, 11.1% in Basilicata and 8.7% in Calabria. Toward the end of the 2001–06 parliamentary term, Mastella decided to continue the alliance with the centre-left, although he and his party were in conflict with the secularist policies proposed by

363-845: The Segni Pact and splinters from Forza Italia , National Alliance and Lega Nord . At its foundation, the UDEUR included a minister in Massimo D'Alema 's government , Salvatore Cardinale at the ministry of Communications. At its electoral debut at the 1999 European Parliament election , the party received 1.6% of the vote, having its strongholds in the South (5.1% in Campania , 3.4% in Basilicata , 4.4% in Calabria and 7.1% in Sicily ). In

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396-481: The Union of the Centre (UdC) refused the UDEUR as coalition partner. The party was thus reduced to a regional party in Campania . The party chose not to present any list in the election and even Mastella decided not to run for re-election. In February 2009 the UDEUR formed an alliance with the PdL in Campania; under the agreement, the UDEUR supported centre-right candidates in the 2009 provincial and municipal elections in

429-560: The Union of the Centre (UdC), and re-styled once again its symbol. However, Mastella later formed a new pact with FI, under which his wife would run in the election, and in February 2018 they officially joined FI. In 2020, Mastella re-branded the party under the name Us Campanians ( Noi Campani ), taking part in the 2020 Campania regional election in support of the Democratic governor, Vincenzo De Luca . In 2021, Mastella launched

462-748: The United Populars in Basilicata and the Sardinian Autonomist Populars in Sardinia , while the Umbrian regional section joined Christian Democracy . Most leading members, including Antonio Satta (who would later launch the Christian Popular Union ), Stefano Cusumano , Mauro Fabris , Armando Veneto and Tommaso Barbato , left. At the 2008 general election both The People of Freedom (PdL) and

495-679: The Interior Italian Minister of Justice This is a list of the Italian ministers of justice since 1946. The minister of justice is a senior member of the Italian Cabinet and leads the Ministry of Justice . The first Italian minister of justice is Giovanni Battista Cassinis, member of the Historical Right , who held the office in 1861 in the government of Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour ; while

528-633: The Italian Parliament." In the first months of the Seventh European Parliament legislature (2009–2014), he was one of the MEPs less present during voting in plenary meetings. On 20 June 2016, Mastella was elected mayor of Benevento as head of a centre-right coalition . In July 2019, Mastella was considered as a Forza Italia (FI) candidate for the 2020 Campania regional election . On 3 June 2020, he left FI to create

561-619: The collapse of the Naples football club SSC Napoli in 2004. Mastella had been the vice-president of the club's board of directors. In September 2007, Mastella asked the High Council of the Judiciary to arrange the transfer of Catanzaro prosecuting attorney Luigi De Magistris , who was inquiring on a committee of illegal transactions composed by politicians (including Mastella himself) and magistrates. Mastella's wife, Sandra Lonardo, at

594-492: The government of its narrow majority in the Senate of the Republic. Mastella said that UDEUR wanted an early election and that it would vote against the government if there was a vote of confidence. Mastella's decision occurred a few days after the Constitutional Court of Italy confirmed that there would be a referendum to modify the electoral system. Earlier in 2007, Mastella had stated more than once that if

627-574: The leadership of The Union . He obtained 4.6% of the vote. Mastella and the then Sicily president Salvatore Cuffaro were subjects of a scandal when it was revealed that they had been the best men of Francesco Campanella, a former member of the Sicilian Mafia who helped the boss Bernardo Provenzano when he was a fugitive from the law. Mastella had been a witness at Campanella's wedding in July 2000. In 2006, Mastella became minister of Justice in

660-766: The new coalition partner Rose in the Fist and despite the presence of far-left parties such as the Communist Refoundation Party . At the 2006 general election the UDEUR was part of The Union centre-left coalition in support of Romano Prodi . It obtained 1.4% of the vote, electing 14 deputies (4 in The Olive Tree 's list) and 3 senators. The Union won the election, and Mastella was appointed Minister of Justice in Romano Prodi's second government . On 16 January 2008 Clemente Mastella, who

693-484: The party was briefly known as Populars for the South , as it was active only in the South by that time. In 2011 Mastella ran for mayor of Naples and gained just 2.5% of the vote. In 2013, the UDEUR became an associate party of Forza Italia (FI). At the 2014 European Parliament election Mastella, a candidate with FI, was not re-elected. The party was revived in the run-up of the 2018 general election , in alliance with

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726-508: The referendum was confirmed, it would lead directly to the fall of the government. The fall of the government disrupted a pending election-law referendum that, if it had been passed, would have made it harder for small parties like Mastella's to gain seats in the Italian Parliament . On 6 February 2008, Mastella announced that he would be part of Berlusconi's House of Freedoms party. On 1 March 2008, Berlusconi refused to form

759-475: The region and Mastella was elected to the 2009 European Parliament election in the PdL list. After being almost disbanded in 2008, the party tried to recover and broaden its base. Some former UDEUR members came back and new members joined. The latter included Giulio Di Donato , a former leading figure of the Italian Socialist Party , who was appointed regional secretary in Campania. In 2010

792-539: The run-up to the 2001 general election the UDEUR joined the Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL) electoral list, along with the Italian People's Party , The Democrats and Italian Renewal . Under the leadership of Francesco Rutelli , who ran also as leader of the entire The Olive Tree centre-left coalition, DL gained 14.6% of the vote. The list's success led to a debate over forming a joint party. When DL

825-568: The same period, he was a member of the Senate of the Republic and determined the narrow majority of Romano Prodi 's government, which ended when he started the 2008 Italian government crisis that led to Prodi's resignation as prime minister and Silvio Berlusconi return to power after the snap election that ensued. In June 2009, he was elected to the European Parliament on the list of The People of Freedom (PdL) of Berlusconi; it

858-444: The second Prodi government. Mastella promoted a general amnesty in 2006. He also proposed criminalising Holocaust denial but dropped the proposal after opposition by historians and concerns about such a law being unconstitutional . As Minister of Justice, Mastella received an advice of judicial proceedings in February 2007 from the Naples prosecutors' office. The office was investigating Mastella for fraudulent bankruptcy regarding

891-466: The time also a UDEUR politician who was the acting president of the Regional Council of Campania . She had been under house arrest for suspected bribery since 16 January 2008. Meanwhile, Mastella resigned from his position as Justice Minister; in announcing his resignation, he said that "between the love of my family and power I choose the former" and expressed his desire to be "more free from

924-497: Was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for UDEUR as part of the European People's Party (EPP). In June 2009, Mastella was elected for a second time a MEP on the EPP list of Berlusconi's PdL party. In July 2009, he attracted attention because of statements made about the per diem collected at the European Parliament. In a lift to his assistants, he said: "An allowance of 290 euro! It's misery. ... They do not know what you get in

957-673: Was briefly revived in the run-up of the 2018 general election . The UDEUR emerged in May 1999 at the breakup of the Democratic Union for the Republic (UDR). This party had been founded in June 1998, under the leadership of Francesco Cossiga , by the merger of Rocco Buttiglione 's United Christian Democrats , Mastella's Christian Democrats for the Republic (a splinter group from the Christian Democratic Centre ),

990-540: Was effectively transformed into a party in early 2002, the UDEUR refused to join and remained an independent party within the centre-left. In 2004 the party changed its official name to UDEUR Populars and amended its symbol accordingly (it would later go back to its original name). At the 2004 European Parliament election UDEUR achieved 1.3% of the national vote (5.4% in Campania, 4.0% in Basilicata, 3.8% in Calabria and 2.7% in Sicily), enough to elect an MEP , who sat in

1023-530: Was his second stint at the European Parliament, after a first term with the UDEUR from 1999 until 2004. After having been the mayor of Ceppaloni twice in three separate decades (1980s, 1990s, and 2000s), he was elected mayor of Benevento in 2016 and re-elected in 2021. Mastella was born in Ceppaloni , in the province of Benevento . He graduated in philosophy at the University of Naples Federico II with

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1056-506: Was the vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies. After the party's dissolution in 1994, Mastella joined with Pier Ferdinando Casini to found a new party, the Christian Democratic Centre (CCD). That same year, following the election victory of Berlusconi, he was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Policies. In 1998, after the fall of the first Prodi government , Mastella decided to follow Francesco Cossiga , lifetime senator and former Italian president. Mastella left his party to found

1089-501: Was under investigation by prosecutor Luigi de Magistris , resigned as Minister of Justice and on 21 January decided to withdraw his party's support to Romano Prodi, who himself resigned after a vote of confidence in the Senate on 24 January, clearing the way toward a snap election. In the following weeks the party suffered several splits leading to several regional parties, notably the Democratic Populars in Campania ,

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