Italian People's Party

The Italian People's Party (Italian: Partito Popolare Italiano, PPI) is an Italian Christian democratic political party inspired by Catholic social teaching.
== History ==
The Italian People's Party was founded in 1919 by Luigi Sturzo, a Sicilian Catholic priest. The PPI was backed by Pope Benedict XV to oppose the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). The party supported various social reforms, including the foundations of a welfare state, women's suffrage and proportional representation in elections.
The 1919 election saw them emerge as the primary opposition to the Italian Socialist Party, coming in second place behind them. Their strong electoral showing was confirmed in the 1921 election, where they came behind the newly founded Communist Party of Italy. However, in 1924 they fell behind the Italian Liberal Party.
The party has long been composed of multiple factions, ranging from the centre-left "Christian socialist" wing under Sturzo and the conservative right-wing under Alcide De Gasperi. The clerical nature of the party meant opposition from both the Italian Liberal Party and the Communist Party of Italy.
After the 1924 election, De Gasperi became the Prime Minister. His time in office saw a rise in political violence amidst the Decennio Rosso. He also came under fierce accusations of pro-fascist leanings, leading to his resignation in 1926 in favor of Sturzo. During his term, Sturzo attempted to court left-wing reformists who had been expelled from the Communist Party. He was assassinated in 1928 by former fascist Blackshirts. The assassination was initially blamed on the communists by the Governo Militare, the military dictatorship under Pietro Badoglio that would be established in the aftermath of the event.
After Sturzo's death the party took a turn towards the right under the resumed leadership of De Gasperi. The party currently supports the Governo Militare as part of the Stability Coalition, a position that has caused divisions. The centre-left wing, now led by Francesco Luigi Ferrari and Amintore Fanfani, has been left marginalized within the party.Category:Italian political parties
Category:Conservative political parties