The Birth of a Party: The Case of the Italian Partito Democratico

This article discusses the birth of the Democratic Party in October 2007 through the merger of the Democrats of the Left and the Daisy. It examines the long history of the merger and the brief history of the constituent process, the new party's identity and organizational features, and the role it might assume in the party system. Our findings indicate: (a) that ethical and religious issues could hinder the building of a shared party identity and political culture; (b) that the party organization has to face the stratarchic imperative; and (c) that the electoral strategy, so important for the new party's birth, will also strictly condition its future, as indicated by its 2008 election performance.