Technically speaking, it will not be a new party, but rather, in the words of Signor Prodi himself, an alliance between "different political entities under the Olive umbrella." The different entities are to be Prodi's various Olive Clubs, Antonio di Pietro's Italian Values movement, and the Centocittą movement of one hundred local mayors.
In the last few weeks, Signor Prodi offered the other parties in the Olive alliance the chance to present a single Olive list of candidates for the forthcoming European elections. This was not accepted, and he has launched a new party.
The elections are set for June 13th, and it is already known that in Italy they will fought on internal issues. Prodi told Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema to "Stand up and be counted if you want to count for something," in reply to the Premier's warning about not weakening the Left.
The new party firmly believes in the objectives of the electoral law referendum, and wishes to take over the center ground of Italian politics.
But that is not all. Some political commentators have interpreted Prodi's move as an attempt at strengthening the "other branch" of the olive tree, i.e. the weaker center of the grouping, which has suffered losses to the Left, Signor Prodi ironically said he wasn't interested in making new branches or cutting any off.
His main objective is overriding the political categories at the basis of the present parties, with the launch of an American-style Democratic Party. He wants the new party to follow different ideals, rather than merely be more united.
For the local elections which are to be held at the same time as the European ones, Prodi is expected to ask for an American-style primaries system to be introduced. This system, if all goes according to plan, would then be used for all elections.
Augusto Minzollini, a journalist for the La Stampa newspaper, says Prodi's target is D'Alema. We would like to remind our readers that Signor D'Alema became Prime Minister after agreements were made between the various parties, and was not directly elected.
In the months of D'Alema's premiership, Prodi has never missed the chance to criticize what he sees as "a return to party manager politics."
Prodi will shortly repeat his tour round Italy, a tactic which won him many votes in the 1996 elections. Last time, he went around in a "battle bus," but will now tour in a train, stopping off in stations to discuss politics and debate.
Valter Veltroni, secretary of the Democratici di sinistra (DS, or Left Democrats), a close ally of Prodi in the Olive grouping when Massimo D'Alema was secretary, has accepted the challenge, saying he will tour Italy in a "battle bus."
According to Fausto Bertinotti of the Refounded Communists, this collision will mean the Left wing will lose the elections, and open the door to a Right-wing government.
