{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox political party |colorcode = #F0003B | name = Veltroniani |native_name = |logo = |leader1_title = Leader |leader1_name = Walter Veltroni |leader2_title = Other members |leader2_name = Francesco Rutelli<br />Paolo Gentiloni |foundation = |dissolution = |merger = |headquarters = |newspaper = |membership_year = |membership = |ideology = Social democracy<br />Social liberalism<br />Christian left |position = Centre-left |country = Italy }} '''Veltroniani''' referred to the followers of '''Walter Veltroni''', leader of the Democratic Party, a political party in Italy, from 2007 to 2009. Most of them are social democrats coming from the Democrats of the Left.

Apart the core group of ''Veltroniani'', there are some distinct factions within the Democratic Party whose members are usually considered ''veltroniani'': *Liberal PD *Democratic Ecologists *Social Christians

During Veltroni's leadership, leading members of the area were Goffredo Bettini, Giorgio Tonini and Enrico Morando.<ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2008/novembre/25/avanti_cosi_meglio_congresso_Veltroni_co_9_081125002.shtml "Se va avanti così meglio il congresso" Veltroni pronto alla controffensiva]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref><ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2008/novembre/26/Veltroni_rimanda_resa_dei_conti_co_9_081126010.shtml Veltroni rimanda la resa dei conti: ora un "Lingotto 2"]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref> Then there was a group of former ''Rutelliani'', including notably Paolo Gentiloni and Ermete Realacci, who became very close to Veltroni and to his idea of Democratic Party.<ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2009/gennaio/09/Rutelli_gelo_con_Veltroni_questo_co_8_090109032.shtml Rutelli, è gelo con Veltroni: questo partito sa molto di Pci]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref> In strict terms ''Veltroniani'' are generally progressives and modernizers, as opposed to ''Dalemiani'' who are more traditional social democrats.<ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2008/novembre/01/Rinnovamento_Voi_sconfitti_lite_veltroniani_co_9_081101028.shtml "Rinnovamento". "Voi sconfitti" Pd, lite veltroniani-dalemiani]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref>

After the departure of Veltroni from party leadership in February 2009, ''Veltroniani'' talked about organizing their faction,<ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2009/febbraio/24/veltroniani_dispersi_preparano_incontro_segreto_co_8_090224019.shtml E i "veltroniani" dispersi preparano un incontro segreto]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://notizie.virgilio.it/notizie/politica/2009/02_febbraio/26/pd_veltroniani_in_campo_aiutare_dario_continuando_linea_walter,18148848.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 February 2009 |archive-date=6 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006163556/http://notizie.virgilio.it/notizie/politica/2009/02_febbraio/26/pd_veltroniani_in_campo_aiutare_dario_continuando_linea_walter,18148848.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> but finally there was a split between the staunch supporters of the new leader Dario Franceschini and those who soon started to criticize him. The first group includes mainly centrist figures, notably Tonini and Realacci, while the latter, mainly social democrats coming from the Italian Communist Party, led by Bettini and Michele Meta, launched a new faction, the Democrats in Network.<ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2009/aprile/28/Franceschini_non_chiude_alla_ricandidatura_co_9_090428011.shtml Franceschini non chiude alla ricandidatura]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.democraticiinrete.it/ de beste bron van informatie over democraticiinrete. Deze website is te koop!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522181640/http://www.democraticiinrete.it/ |date=22 May 2009 }}. democraticiinrete.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref>

In the 2009 Democratic Party leadership election the bulk of ''Veltroniani'' and Veltroni himself supported Franceschini,<ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2009/giugno/25/Franceschini_scende_campo_Non_lascio_co_8_090625025.shtml Franceschini scende in campo "Non lascio a chi c' era prima"]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref><ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2009/giugno/16/Veltroni_nuovo_campo_schiera_con_co_8_090616032.shtml Veltroni di nuovo in campo e si schiera con Franceschini]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref> while the Democrats in Netweork of Bettini and Meta supported Ignazio Marino.<ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2009/luglio/09/Bettini_Franceschini_specchio_della_crisi_co_9_090709031.shtml Bettini: Franceschini lo specchio della crisi]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.democraticiinrete.it/?p=303 de beste bron van informatie over democraticiinrete. Deze website is te koop!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007072152/http://www.democraticiinrete.it/?p=303 |date=7 October 2011 }}. democraticiinrete.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref> Pier Luigi Bersani was elected secretary and most ''Veltroniani'' joined AreaDem, the united minority faction led by Franceschini. However, when Franceschini re-approached with Bersani, Veltroni formed a "movement" to defend the "original spirit" of the PD.<ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/settembre/16/documento_forse_movimento_Veltroni_scossa_co_9_100916011.shtml Un documento e (forse) un movimento Veltroni dà la scossa ai democratici]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref> In doing this he was supported by 75 deputies: 33 ''Veltroniani'', 35 Populars close to Giuseppe Fioroni and 7 former ''Rutelliani'' led by Paolo Gentiloni.<ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/settembre/17/Veltroni_Bersani_sul_ring_senza_co_8_100917018.shtml Veltroni e Bersani sul ring "Pd senza bussola". "Sbagli tutto"]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref><ref>[http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/settembre/18/conta_sul_testo_Veltroni_Firmano_co_9_100918024.shtml Il Pd si conta sul testo Veltroni Firmano in 75, minoranza divisa]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref> The new faction was named Democratic Movement.<ref>[http://www.unita.it/news/italia/104077/pd_veltroni_lancia_quotmovimento_democraticoquot Pagina non trovata – l'Unità] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114071215/http://www.unita.it/news/italia/104077/pd_veltroni_lancia_quotmovimento_democraticoquot |date=14 November 2010 }}. Unita.it (20 September 2008). Retrieved on 18 October 2011.</ref>

==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090522181640/http://www.democraticiinrete.it/ Democrats in Network] {{-}}

{{Democratic Party factions}}

Category:Democratic Party (Italy) factions