Forza Italia
Forza Italia (roughly translated to "Go Italy!", literally translated to "Italy Strenght") is an Italian Political Party currently headed by Silvio Berlusconi. It holds center-right positions and is currently in decline, though still relevant within Italian Politics.
History
Forza Italia was officially formed in 2013, though a party with the same name, symbols and political positions existed from 1994 to 2009. Much of its voter-base and membership derived from a previous party called Il Popolo della Libertà.
Ideology
Forza Italia is officially a center-right party, holding Liberal positions similar to those of other Conservative parties throughout Europe such as the United Kingdom Conservative Party and the German Christian Democratic Union and similar to those of the American Republican Party.
It advocates for further privatization and less state intervention in the economy. It supports lowering taxes and favoring external investments within the Italian economy. It is Atlantist, being an ardent supporter of NATO/OTAN and is pro-European Union.
Notable Members
- Silvio Berlusconi
- Antonio Tajani
- Maurizio Gasparri
- Licia Ronzulli
- Fulvio Martusciello
- Claudio Fazzone
Scandals and Controversies
Many of the controversies associated to Forza Italia are contained to the figure of Silvio Berlusconi. Nonetheless, it has been subject to various scandals itself, such as regarding its debts, corruption (internal and external) and public funding.