Italian Political Parties
Several political parties operate in Italy, and historically there have been even more than today. No one party has ever had the chance of gaining power alone and thus parties must work with each other to form coalition governments.
However, since the 2008 general election, only five major parties have been represented in Parliament. On one side, the centre-right The People of Freedom and Lega Nord supported the Berlusconi IV Cabinet. On the other side there is the centre-left opposition, composed of the Democratic Party and Italy of Values. The Union of Christian and Centre Democrats and Future and Freedom are the only relevant national parties outside the two big coalitions to be represented in Parliament. Other minor regional parties have seats in Parliament, notably the Movement for Autonomies, the South Tyrolean People's Party and the Valdotanian Union, while many more regional parties are active at the regional level.
Read more about Italian Political Parties: History
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