United to the Left

United to the Left ("Uniti a Sinistra") is a network of leftist groups associated with the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) in Italy. It claims to have 20,000 members and 300 clubs all around Italy. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2006/agosto/05/Curzi_Cossutta_segnale_torna_lui_co_9_060805050.shtml]

In April 2005 Pietro Folena (a leading member of the Democrats of the Left who had been a close aide of Walter Veltroni) and Francesco Martone (a splinter from the Federation of the Greens) left their parties in order to join the PRC. [http://leg14.camera.it/organiparlamentari/assemblea/contenitore_dati.asp?tipopagina=&deputato=d29600&source=%2Fdeputatism%2F240%2Fdocumentoxml%2Easp&position=Deputati%5CLa%20Scheda%20Personale&Pagina=Deputati/Composizione/01.camera/nuovacomposizione/datpersonali2.asp%3Fdeputato=d29600&nominativo=FOLENA%20Pietro] [http://www.senato.it/leg/14/BGT/Schede/Attsen/00017604.htm]

In July 2008 they formed "United to the Left" as a network of left-wing groups which wanted to take part to Fausto Bertinotti's project of the European Left, along with Antonello Falomi (a former deputy leader of the Democrats of the Left in the Senate who had followed Achille Occhetto into an alliance with Italy of Values for the 2004 European Parliament election [http://www.senato.it/leg/14/BGT/Schede/Attsen/00000932.htm] ) and two leading members of the Italian General Confederation of Labour, Paolo Nerozzi and Gianni Rinaldini. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2005/luglio/11/Folena_Cgil_Uniti_sinistra_co_8_050711045.shtml] The group was later joined by Maura Cossutta, daughter of Armando and leading member of the Party of Italian Communists. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2006/agosto/05/Curzi_Cossutta_segnale_torna_lui_co_9_060805050.shtml]

In the 2006 general election Folena, Falomi and Martone were all re-elected to Parliament in PRC's list. In 2007 United to the Left was a keen supporter of The Left – The Rainbow alliance with the Greens, the Italian Communists and Democratic Left. As the alliance was trounced by voters in 2008 general election and the "Bertinottiani" had lost the leadership of the PRC to the internal left in the 24-27 July 2008, the future of United to the Left is unclear.

Leadership

*Coordinator: Pietro Folena (2005–...)

References

External links

* [http://www.unitiasinistra.it/ Official website]