Forza Italia

Italian political party (1994–2009)

Key facts

Abbreviation: FI
President: Silvio Berlusconi
Vice president: Giulio Tremonti (2004–2009) Roberto Formigoni (2008–2009)
Founder: Silvio Berlusconi
Founded: 18 January 1994
Dissolved: 27 March 2009
Merged into: The People of Freedom
Headquarters: Via dell'Umiltà 36, Rome
Student wing: Students for the Freedoms
Youth wing: Forza Italia – Young People for Freedom
Membership 2007: 400,000
Ideology: Liberal conservatism Christian democracy

Article

Forza Italia (FI; lit. 'Forward Italy' or 'Come on Italy' or 'Let's Go Italy') was a centre-right political party in Italy founded by Silvio Berlusconi, who served as Prime Minister of Italy four times. Politically liberal-conservative, it also had Christian democratic, liberal, economic liberalism, social democratic, and populist tendencies.

The party was founded in December 1993 and won its first general election soon afterwards in March 1994. It was the main member of the Pole of Freedoms/Pole of Good Government, Pole for Freedoms, and House of Freedoms coalitions. Throughout its existence, the party was characterised by a strong reliance on the personal image and charisma of its leader (it has been called a "personality party", or Berlusconi's "personal party"), and the skillful use of media campaigns, especially via television. The party's organisation and ideology depended heavily on its leader, so much so that its appeal to voters was based on Berlusconi's personality more than on its ideology or programme.