The Social Christians () are a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

social-democratic faction within the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy. Before that, they were a party (1993–1998) and a faction of the Democrats of the Left (1998–2007). The CS are a member of the International League of Religious Socialists (ILRS).

History

The group was founded as a party by trade-union leader Pierre Carniti and economist Ermanno Gorrieri in 1993, in order to represent Christian leftists and

socialists Socialism is an economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes the economic, political, and socia ...

within the nascent Alliance of Progressives. In the 1994 general election the party was included in the Democratic Party of the Left and obtained eight deputies and six senators, while in the 1996 general election five deputies (including Mimmo Lucà and

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

pastor Domenico Maselli) and four senators won election. In 1998 the CS fully joined the Democrats of the Left (DS) and were later a faction within that party.Cristiano Sociali - www.CRISTIANOSOCIALI.it
In 2007 the CS were keen supporters of the merger of the DS into the Democratic Party and in first leadership election most of them supported

Walter Veltroni Walter Veltroni (; born 3 July 1955) is an Italian writer, film director, journalist and politician. He served as the first leader of the Democratic Party within the Italian centre-left opposition until his resignation on 17 February 2009. H ...

. In the 2009 leadership election the faction chose to support Pier Luigi Bersani, while two former leading members, Giorgio Tonini and Stefano Ceccanti, who had been Veltroni's close allies, supported Dario Franceschini. After the

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

and 2006 general elections, the faction continued to have at least four deputies and senators, although lately the faction's strength has been reduced.

Leadership

*Coordinator: Pierre Carniti (1993–1999), Giorgio Tonini (1999–2003), Mimmo Lucà (2003–present) *President: Ermanno Gorrieri (1993–1999), Pierre Carniti (1999–2003)

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control 1993 establishments in Italy Catholic political parties Catholic social teaching Christian democratic parties in Italy Christian socialist organizations Defunct political parties in Italy Democratic Party (Italy) factions Political parties established in 1993