# 2021 Democratic Party (Italy) leadership by-election

The 2021 Democratic Party leadership by-election was an election held on 14 March 2021 in which the members of the Democratic Party's National Assembly elected the party Secretary, whose seat had been vacant since 4 March of the same year.

## Procedure

Under the internal rules of the Democratic Party, if an incumbent Secretary resigns, the National Assembly can either decide to dissolve itself and call a new primary election, or choose a new Secretary who will serve until the expiration of the Assembly's four years term.

## Candidates

| Portrait | Name | Name | Offices held |
| | | Enrico Letta (age 58) | Prime Minister of Italy (2013–2014) Other positions Member of the Chamber of Deputies (2001–2015; 2021–present) Deputy secretary of the Democratic Party (2009–2013) Secretary of the Council of Ministers (2006–2008) Member of the European Parliament (2004–2006) Minister for the Community Policies (1998–1999) Deputy secretary of the Italian People's Party (1997–1998) Minister of Industry, Commerce and Crafts (1996–1998) |

## History

The 2019 Democratic Party leadership election had been won by Nicola Zingaretti, who had become Secretary after winning over 66% of the vote. On 4 March 2021, Zingaretti resigned, planning to hand the party's leadership to former Prime Minister Enrico Letta. Letta, who at the time was working in Paris as a university professor, immediately returned to Italy, where he was elected Secretary by the National Assembly in a nearly unanimous vote. In his first speech as leader of the Democratic Party, he set out his agenda, which included the formation a broad alliance alongside centre-left and centrist political forces, making it easier for children of immigrants to obtain Italian citizenship, lowering the minimum voting age from 18 to 16, the introduction of an anti-defection law, and an electoral law reform.

## Results
### National Assembly of the Democratic Party

Motion to elect Enrico Letta Secretary of the Democratic Party, 14 March 2021 :
| Ballot → ||
| In favor Y | 860 / 866 (99%) |
| Against N | 2 / 866 (0.2%) |
| Abstentions | 4 / 866 (0.5%) |

## Sources

* ↑ "Zingaretti si dimette da segretario Pd: 'Mi vergogno si parli solo di poltrone, ora tutti si assumano responsabilità'. Il partito: 'Ci ripensi'". Il Messaggero (in Italian). 4 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
* ↑ Maurelli, Luca (12 March 2021). "Enrico Letta il 'francese' saprà difendere l'Italia? I dubbi sul doppio ruolo del neo leader del Pd". Il Secolo d'Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 5 April 2024.
* ↑ "Nicola Zingaretti si dimette da segretario Pd". HuffPost Italia (in Italian). 4 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
* ↑ Cipolla, Alessandro (15 March 2021). "PD, il programma di Enrico Letta: voto ai sedicenni e ius soli". Money.it (in Italian). Retrieved 5 April 2024.
* ↑ Roberts, Hannah (14 March 2021). "Italy's ex-PM Enrico Letta returns to lead Democratic Party". Politico Europe. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
* ↑ Giuffrida, Angela (14 March 2021). "Italian ex-prime minister Enrico Letta elected to lead Democratic party". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
* ↑ "Letta 'comincia bene' con un discorso più di sinistra che di centro". Wired (in Italian). 15 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2024.