The Italian Democratic Social Party (Partito Democratico Sociale Italiano, PDSI) was a social-liberal political party in Italy.
It was formed for the 1919 general election by the union of the Constitutional Democratic Party with several other parties of the liberal left. In that occasion the PDSI, that was especially strong in Southern Italy, gained 10.9% of the vote and 60 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, while in 1921 it won 4.7% of the vote and 29 seats. The party took part to the governments of Benito Mussolini until July 1924 as other liberal groups and was later disbanded. After World War II some of its members joined the Labour Democratic Party, a centre-left outfit.
Famous quotes containing the words italian, social, democratic and/or party:
“Master of Trinity: Is he an Italian?
Harold Abrahams: Of Italian extraction, yes.
Master of Trinity: I see.
Harold Abrahams: But not all Italian.
Master of Trinity: I’m relieved to hear it.
Harold Abrahams: He’s half-Arab.”
—Colin Welland (b. 1934)
“As the tragic writer rids us of what is petty and ignoble in our nature, so also the humorist rids us of what is cautious, calculating, and priggish—about half of our social conscience, indeed. Both of them permit us, in blessed moments of revelation, to soar above the common level of our lives.”
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“The democratic youth ... lives along day by day, gratifying the desire that occurs to him, at one time drinking and listening to the flute, at another downing water and reducing, now practising gymnastic, and again idling and neglecting everything; and sometimes spending his time as though he were occupied in philosophy.”
—Plato (c. 427–347 B.C.)
“In order to remain true to oneself one ought to renounce one’s party three times a day.”
—Jean Rostand (1894–1977)