Federation of Progressive Democrats
Federation of Progressive Democrats | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Dominic de Brincat |
| Chairperson | Magdalena Moretti |
| Founded | November 1, 1899 |
| Headquarters | Via Constituccione 1601, Timiocato, Capitale 3272AA |
| Youth wing | Young Progressive Democrats |
| Ideology | Liberalism, conservatism, classical liberalism |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| Colours | Azure |
| Senato | 19 / 100
|
| Constazione | 168 / 715
|
| Website | |
| www.fpd.org.pc | |
The Federation of Progressive Democrats (FPD, Pacitalian: Federazione Democrate Progressivare, FDP) is a major, centre-right political party in Pacitalia. The FPD has been Pacitalia's only major modern liberal or conservative political party at the national level.
The party was founded in 1899 as a "third way" alternative that was politically between the entrenched two major parties of the time. The Liberal Party, which was further left on the political spectrum, and the more conservative, traditional Civil Party, had dominated Pacitalian politics since the mid-eighteenth century.
Just six years after its founding, it won the 1905 national elections and formed a government. For most of the twentieth century, and into the twenty-first, the values of the FPD largely mirrored that of wider society, leading many experts and the general public to christen it the country's "natural governing party". Shifting social attitudes, demographic changes, and a series of scandals affecting the party starting in the mid-2000s, have diminished the FPD's standing in recent years.
Since winning its first election, the Federation has governed Pacitalia for a total of approximately 69 years as of 2023, more than all other parties combined in the modern age. Many of the economic policies the FPD enacted while in office are credited with fostering Pacitalia's transition from a largely agrarian, conservative and insular nation, with rapid economic growth and industrialization in the twentieth century transforming the country into an economic power.
The party last governed at the national level prior to 2018, when Prime Minister Maurizio Conte's government failed to retain majority support in parliament following the 2017 elections. Shortly after, Archonate Vittoria Agradossa invited Democratic Nationalist Party leader Damián Moya to form a government, in a coalition arrangement with the Pacitalian Social Congress, ending a period where the FPD had governed – alone or as part of a coalition – for 28 out of a possible 30 years.
The FPD is currently the third-largest party by membership, and fourth-largest in fundraising income, as of 2023. It currently does not hold a majority of seats, or control, any of Pacitalia's regional councils.
Ideology
Ideologically, the FPD is a strong proponent of free markets, globalism and globalization. Its recent campaign platforms have called for the size of government to shrink in order to maximize personal freedoms "of all kinds". Historically doveish on foreign policy, the FPD has long argued in favour of maintaining the Pacitalian military as a defensive force, believing international peace and stability can be attained through the use of soft power and by fostering economic growth and opportunity.
The FPD was previously regarded as a "big tent" political party, a term for a party that encompasses large factions of people with often diverging viewpoints who can still rally around a common cause. However, the party's size both in parliament and in terms of membership has shrunk in recent years. It has also faced increasing competition for public support and individual financial contributions from other parties on the right.
Its voting base tends to skew towards men, middle-aged and older voters, urban professionals and white-collar workers, particularly in the finance and tourism sectors, nuclear families, and people who identify as ethnically Pacitalian. The party is most popular in the suburban areas around major cities and, historically, has drawn consistent, strong support in Amalfia, Antigonia, Beracanto, Capitale, and Trasteveria.
History
Notable policy achievements
- Creation of the autostrada road network (1948)
- Creation of the national high-speed rail network, Alta Velocità (1960)
- Judicial modernization (1962)
- Expansion of adoption rights and spousal benefits to same-sex couples (1996)
- Legalization of same-sex marriage (2002)
- Legalization of medically assisted dying (2008)
Party leaders
| Name | Served from | Served until | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medinis Sorprantakis | August 2, 1900 | January 20, 1915 | Prime Minister (1905-1913) |
| Fabrizio dello Locarno | January 20, 1915 | September 1, 1920 | |
| Marco Firmino | January 20, 1915 | December 15, 1937 | Prime Minister (1921-1937) |
| Paolo Imperiano | December 15, 1937 | June 6, 1940 | Prime Minister (1937) |
| Rabastiano Pietro Grazzo | June 6, 1940 | September 30, 1957 | Prime Minister (1945-1957) |
| Carlo Fadda | September 30, 1957 | March 10, 1965 | Prime Minister (1957-1965)† |
| Tiberio Damesco | March 10, 1965 | January 30, 1969 | |
| Michelangelo Arzu | January 30, 1969 | August 1, 1972 | |
| Arturo Bop-Mascarte | August 1, 1972 | December 5, 1983 | |
| Camazo Vendalini | December 5, 1983 | May 15, 1987 | |
| Francesco Santo Ragazzo | May 15, 1987 | December 6, 1995 | Prime Minister (1988-1996) |
| Timotaio Ell Petranescu-Calindara | December 6, 1995 | December 15, 2005 | Prime Minister (1996-2006) |
| Constantino Sorantanali | December 15, 2005 | August 9, 2006 | Prime Minister (2006) |
| Albinanda Serodini | August 9, 2006 | December 10, 2006 | Caretaker Prime Minister and party leader ad interim |
| Archetenia Nera | December 10, 2006 | June 21, 2017 | Prime Minister (2007-2009, 2011-2017 |
| Maurizio Conte | June 21, 2017 | May 16, 2020 | Prime Minister (2017-2018) |
| Gemma Bianconi | May 16, 2020 | June 4, 2022 | |
| Enzo Figo | June 4, 2022 | April 16, 2023 | Resigned after being charged with murder |
| Dominic de Brincat | April 16, 2023 | Party leader ad interim |
† Fadda stepped down as leader of the party in the spring of 1965 but continued to serve as a caretaker Prime Minister to allow his successor, Damesco, to assume the leadership of the party and run the campaign. The party was defeated in the 1965 election. This is the only instance in Pacitalian political history where a successor as party leader never served as Prime Minister at the same time (even if briefly).
Electoral performance
Constazione
Senato
| Election | Candidate | Party | First-round votes | Runoff election | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Share | Position | No. | Share | Position | ||||
| 2007 | Timotaio Ell Petranescu-Calindara | FPD | 95,100,550 | 45.0% |  1st
|
116,301,994 | 58.1% | 1st
|
Elected |
| 2010 | Dragomir Dobrogeanu | FPD | 115,743,500 | 40.2% | 1st
|
123,858,190 | 47.4% |  2nd
|
Lost in runoff |
| 2016† | Domenico de Fiore | FPD | 61,422,136 | 22.5% | 3rd
|
Eliminated in first round | |||
| 2017† | Archetenia Nera | FPD | 95,651,932 | 33.0% |  1st
|
135,741,776 | 49.0% | 2nd
|
Lost in runoff |
| 2023 | TBD | Election to be held in November 2023 | |||||||
† Election result was annulled due to the narrow margin of just 754 votes between the final two candidates, out of nearly 250 million valid votes cast. Voting irregularities and missing postal ballots that may have altered the final result were also noted during the tabulation process. The National Superior Court invalidated the election results as a precaution and officials re-ran the election in 2017.