Communist Refoundation Party

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The Communist Refoundation Party (Italian: Partito della Rifondazione Comunista) is an Italian reformed communist party.

It has members in the European Parliament who sit in the European United Left - Nordic Green Left group.

It was formed in 1991 when the Italian Communist Party split in two: the Democratic Party of the Left, led by Achille Occhetto, and the Partito della Rifondazione Comunista, originally headed by Armando Cossutta. On June 9, 1991 the congress of Democrazia Proletaria in Riccione decided to merge the party into the Communist Refoundation Party.

In 1998 part of the party split off to form the Party of Italian Communists.

The Communist Refoundation Party leader until 2006 was Fausto Bertinotti (59,2% in last Congress), and it views itself as the party representing the anti-globalization movement in the Italian political scene. Although it is has within it some recognized tendencies, like hardline communists of Essere Comunisti (26,2%) and trotskyists of [Falce Martello] or Progetto Comunista (14,6%).

After the April 9 and 10 election which led the centre-left coalition The Union to a very narrow win, party leader Fausto Bertinotti was elected Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, and thus resigned the secretarship. On May 7, 2006, MP Franco Giordano has been elected new leader, with 68.81% of votes.

In April 2006, Nichi Vendola, one of the young leaders of the party, was elected president of the Apulia region. He is the only regional president belonging to the Communist Refoundation Party. He is also openly gay, something that may indicate a gradual moral opening amongst the traditionally conservative people of the South in general and Apulia in particular.

The party participates both in the European Anticapitalist Left and the Party of the European Left. Currently it has 97,784 members.

Electoral results

Year	Elections	Votes	%	Seats
1992	Chamber of Deputies	2.202.574	5.6%	35
1992	Senate of the Republic	2.163.317	6.5%	20
1994	Chamber of Deputies	2.334.029	6.0%	39
1994	Senate of the Republic	-	-	18
1994	European elections	1.991.977	6.1%	5
1996	Chamber of Deputies	3.215.960	8.5%	35
1996	Senate of the Republic	-	-	11
1999	European elections	1.330.341	4.3%	4
2001	Chamber of Deputies	1.867.712	5.0%	11
2001	Senate of the Republic	1.705.733	5.0%	4
2004	European elections	1.971.700	6.1%	5
2006	Chamber of Deputies	2.229.604	5.8%	41
2006	Senate of the Republic	2.518.624	7.4%	27

External link

[Communist Refoundation Party in English]

Political parties of Italy ^[edit]

	The Union	House of Freedoms
Represented in Parliament	Federation of the Olive Tree (Democrats of the Left, Daisy—Democracy is Freedom, European Republican Movement) \| Communist Refoundation Party \| Rose in the Fist (Italian Democratic Socialists, Italian Radicals) \| Party of Italian Communists \| Italy of Values \| Federation of the Greens \| Popular-UDEUR \| South Tyrolese People's Party \| Autonomy Liberty Democracy	Forza Italia \| National Alliance \| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats \| LN/MpA (Northern League, Movement for Autonomy) \| New DC/NPSI (Christian Democracy for the Autonomies, Socialist Party New PSI) \| For Italy in the World with Tremaglia
Minor	Pensioners' Party \| The Socialists \| Italian Democratic Socialist Party \| Left-Wing Radicals \| Federation of Italian Liberals \| Federation of Liberal Democrats \| United Democratic Christians \| Consumers' List \| New Party of Action \| United Consumers \| Party of Christian Democracy \| Republicans for the Union (Democratic Republicans, Republican Democracy) \| League for Autonomy-Lombard Alliance \| Project Sardinia \| Veneto Front League	Social Alternative (Social Action, New Force, National Social Front) \| Social Movement Tricolour Flame \| Italian Liberal Party \| Liberal Reformers \| No Euro Movement \| Italian Republican Party \| Secular Italy \| United Pensioners \| Christian Extended Pact \| CD - Shield with the Cross - Libertas \| Environmental List-Ecological Democrats \| Federalist Greens \| S.O.S. Italy \| New Sicily \| Pact for Sicily \| Unitalia
Regional	Aosta Valley Live \| Die Freiheitlichen \| Valdotanian Union \| Ladins \| Sardinian Action Party \| Independence-Republic of Sardinia \| Sardinia Nation \| Union for South Tyrol \| Sicilian Alliance
Others	Fascism and Freedom Movement \| For the South \| Green Greens \| Humanist Party \| Internationalist Communist Party \| Italian Association in South America \| Italian Marxist-Leninist Party \| Liberal Socialist Action Party \| Marxist-Leninist Italian Communist Party \| Moderate Italy \| Monarchist Alliance \| National Democratic Party \| National New Order \| National Right-New ISM \| North-East Project \| Pact of Liberal Democrats \| Social Idea Movement \| Southern League
Historical	Christian Democracy \| Italian Communist Party \| Italian Socialist Party \| Italian Social Movement \| Democratic Party of the Left \| Proletarian Democracy \| Proletarian Unity Party \| Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity] \| Unified Socialist Party \| Democratic Alliance \| National Fascist Party

Communist Parties in Europe

Austria • Belarus • Belgium (Flanders) • Belgium (Wallonia) • Bosnia-Herzegovina • Britain • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark
Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy (PdCI) • Italy (PRC) • Latvia • Macedonia • Moldova
Netherlands • Norway • Portugal • Russia • San Marino • Serbia • Slovakia • Spain • Spain (Catalonia)
Spain (Basque Country) • Sweden • Turkey • Ukraine

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