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The divorce between Italy’s centrist parties Azione and Italia Viva is becoming official as the European Parliament election approaches.
Led by former MEP Carlo Calenda, Azione has left the European Democratic Party (EDP) — an umbrella EU political party that contains a number of national parties — over a spat with its former ally Italia Viva, led by former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, according to a letter obtained by POLITICO.
Azione will join the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and remain part of the Renew Europe group in Parliament, a press officer for Azione said.
The move could slightly weaken the EDP ahead of next year’s EU election, where it will be campaigning on a joint platform with Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party and the ALDE family.
Azione and Italia Viva have been allies in Italy and at the European level as they presented common candidates at the 2019 European Parliament election. Their only two MEPs — Giuseppe Ferrandino and Nicola Danti — sit together in the Renew Europe group at the European Parliament.
But over the past months, the two parties drifted apart amid increasing tensions between their leaders, Calenda and Renzi. Calenda is now accusing the EDP of siding with Italia Viva to the detriment of Azione. Italia Viva will remain part of EDP.
“In spite of being fully aware of the difficult relationship that currently exists between Azione and Italia Viva during the past months, the leadership of EDP has been constantly aligned to the position of the latter,” Calenda wrote in the letter he sent last week to the EDP presidency to announce Azione’s withdrawal.
In particular, Calenda accused Sandro Gozi — the secretary-general of EDP — of neglecting Azione, writing that Gozi clearly considers Renzi “his only real point of reference.” Gozi is an Italian MEP representing France who is very close to Renzi.
Calenda also accused EDP of starting discussions over candidates for next year’s European election without involving Azione, and criticized it for funding an Italia Viva event.
Gozi rejected those allegations and said Azione’s move was only motivated by tensions with Italia Viva at the national level.
“We … regret that instead of citing the real political motivation of your decision, you use futile reasons and unacceptable accusations,” Gozi wrote in a reply to Calenda, also obtained by POLITICO. “Your letter shows a lack of understanding of how a European party works,” he added, saying that it was legitimate for EDP to fund an Italia Viva event.
Calenda and Renzi have been very close in the past. In 2016, when Renzi was Italy’s prime minister, he appointed Calenda as Italy’s permanent representative to the EU.
