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| Civic Choice | |
|---|---|
| Name | Civic Choice |
| Native name | Scelta Civica |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Dissolved | 2017 (de facto) |
| Leader | Mario Monti |
| Headquarters | Rome, Italy |
| Ideology | Liberalism; Christian democracy; Pro-Europeanism |
| Position | Centre |
| European | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (observer) |
| Colors | Blue |
Civic Choice was an Italian centrist political party established in 2013 around the leadership of Mario Monti to contest the 2013 Italian general election. Formed amid the aftermath of the European debt crisis, the party assembled figures from academia, finance, and centrist politics to promote fiscal consolidation, structural reform, and deeper integration with the European Union. Its short-lived prominence influenced debates within Italian politics involving Democratic Party (Italy), Forza Italia, and the Five Star Movement.
The movement emerged after Mario Monti's appointment as Prime Minister during the 2011–2013 Italian political crisis, succeeding the Berlusconi IV Cabinet and prior to the 2013 election. Monti announced a list of candidates drawn from civil society, including members of the Union of the Centre (Italy), Future and Freedom dissidents, and liberal intellectuals such as Vittorio Emanuele Parsi and Vittorio Grilli. Civic Choice contested the election as part of a centrist list alongside the Union of the Centre (Italy) and Act to Stop the Decline, winning parliamentary representation but falling short of expectations compared with the major blocs led by Pier Luigi Bersani and Silvio Berlusconi. After initial cohesion, internal strains led to splits and defections to formations like New Centre-Right and the reconstitution of various liberal groupings. By the mid-2010s, with the rise of Matteo Renzi and the reconfiguration of the Italian centre-left, Civic Choice ceased to operate as a cohesive party and many members joined other outfits including Scelta Europea and the European People's Party-aligned currents.
Civic Choice espoused pro-European, liberal, and Christian-democratic positions, aligning with policy traditions represented by European People's Party, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, and technocratic currents associated with Christian democracy in Italy. The party prioritized fiscal consolidation measures consistent with European Commission recommendations and the European Central Bank's anti-fragmentation agenda, while advocating for market-friendly reforms similar to proposals by OECD analysts and International Monetary Fund missions. Civic Choice promoted institutional reforms reminiscent of debates around the Italian Constitution and proposals connected to the Berlusconi era’s electoral law reforms, and it supported policies favoring competitiveness outlined in reports by institutions like the World Bank and European Investment Bank.
Initially led by Mario Monti as a non-party politician, Civic Choice assembled a leadership including academics, former civil servants, and business figures drawn from circles connected to Bocconi University, the Bank of Italy, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy). Prominent names associated with the list included Enrico Letta sympathizers, technocrats such as Vittorio Grilli and Corrado Passera, and public intellectuals who had collaborated with Monti’s government. The party’s internal structure featured a leadership council, regional coordinators, and parliamentary groups in both the Chamber of Deputies (Italy) and the Senate of the Republic (Italy), though factionalism prompted the creation of splinter groups and parliamentary sub-groups allied with entities like Scelta Europea and Toward the Third Republic.
In the 2013 Italian general election, Civic Choice, in alliance with the Union of the Centre (Italy) and Act to Stop the Decline, obtained a modest share of votes that translated into representation in both chambers, preserving Monti-era policy influence. The party’s performance contrasted with the success of the Five Star Movement and the returning strength of Forza Italia under Silvio Berlusconi, while the Democratic Party (Italy) formed a center-left government that incorporated some technocratic reforms. Subsequent regional and European Parliament elections saw Civic Choice decline, with many supporters migrating to Popular Alternative, New Centre-Right, or joining lists such as Scelta Europea for the European Parliament election, 2014.
Civic Choice advocated pension reform measures reminiscent of the Monti government’s adjustments to the Italian pension system, labor market reforms echoing the Jobs Act debates, and tax reforms aimed at reducing evasion aligned with Agenzia delle Entrate modernization proposals. On European matters, it pushed for stronger banking union initiatives and measures associated with the European Stability Mechanism and the Banking Union (European Union). The party supported public administration efficiency reforms linked to proposals from Corte dei Conti analyses and endorsed privatization or liberalization policies consistent with recommendations from OCSE and IMF technical missions. Civic Choice took positions on immigration shaped by Italian engagements with Frontex and Mediterranean migration dynamics involving Libya and Tunisia.
From inception, Civic Choice engaged in alliances with centrist and reformist groups, forming the "With Monti for Italy" coalition with the Union of the Centre (Italy), and collaborating with liberal formations like Act to Stop the Decline. In parliament, it negotiated with centre-right and centre-left groups, interacting with parties such as Forza Italia, New Centre-Right, and the Democratic Party (Italy). For European contests, Civic Choice associated with pro-European lists including Scelta Europea and sought rapport with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and elements of the European People's Party.
Critics argued that Civic Choice embodied the limitations of technocratic politics in electoral competition, drawing scrutiny from figures associated with Five Star Movement and populist critics like Beppe Grillo. Commentators from outlets allied with Corriere della Sera and Il Sole 24 Ore debated the party’s accountability, while opponents highlighted perceived proximity to financial interests connected to institutions such as the Bank of Italy and private banking groups linked to the Italian financial sector. Internal disputes produced public rows between members connected to Bocconi University networks and former ministers, prompting resignations and accusations of opportunism voiced by politicians in Left Ecology Freedom and conservative critics within Forza Italia. The party’s decline was framed by some analysts at Institute of International Political Studies (ISPI) and Luiss Guido Carli as evidence of the challenges facing centrist technocratic projects in polarized party systems.
Category:Political parties in Italy Category:Liberal parties in Italy Category:Pro-European political parties in Italy