Azione

Azione is a relatively young Italian party that emerged from technocratic and reformist currents, aiming to occupy a pro-European, market-friendly, institutionally responsible centre. Its politics are shaped by liberal reformism, secularism, and a strong emphasis on competence.

History and ideology

Azione was founded in November 2019 by Carlo Calenda, a former minister of economic development and former leader in the centre-left Democratic Party orbit, after his departure from the PD. The party grew out of the political project “Siamo Europei,” and soon positioned itself as a home for voters and figures dissatisfied with Italy’s traditional centre-left, but also unwilling to align with the nationalist right. From the beginning, Azione presented itself as a pro-European, reform-oriented force focused on governance rather than ideological identity politics.

Its development has been marked by coalition experimentation and internal tensions over alliances. In the 2022 general election, Azione formed the “Third Pole” alliance with Italia Viva led by Matteo Renzi, trying to build a centrist alternative to both the centre-right and centre-left blocs. The alliance broke down after the election, reflecting the difficulty of sustaining a distinct centrist pole in Italy’s polarized and coalition-driven system. Since then, Azione has continued as an independent party, seeking to retain an identity based on pragmatic reform, fiscal responsibility, and European integration.

Ideologically, Azione sits in the centre to centre-right of the traditional Italian spectrum, but it is better described as liberal-centrist than as conservative. Its core pillars include:

• Pro-European integration and support for the EU single market and institutional strengthening
• Economic liberalism: competition, administrative simplification, investment-friendly policies
• Institutional reformism: streamlining bureaucracy, improving public administration, and electoral reform
• Atlanticism and support for Italy’s international alignment with the West
• Social liberalism on civil rights, though usually without the more identity-driven profile of the progressive left
• Technocratic competence as a political value, with an emphasis on expertise, pragmatism, and governing credibility

Azione is often grouped with Italy’s liberal-centrist or reformist centrist family. It is not populist, not socialist, and not nationalist. Its identity depends heavily on Carlo Calenda’s leadership and on the claim that Italy needs a serious modernising force outside the main ideological camps.

Objective achievements and contributions

Azione is a recent party, so its direct record of legislative achievements is limited compared with older formations. Its contributions are best assessed through public policy advocacy, parliamentary behavior, and participation in government debates rather than through long-term governing records.

• Built a recognizable centrist reformist option in a fragmented party system, especially after 2019, helping reintroduce the idea of a distinct “third force” between the major blocs.
• Contributed to debate on institutional and administrative reform, advocating reductions in bureaucracy, more efficient public procurement, and modernization of the state.
• Supported pro-market and pro-investment policy discussions, especially on energy, infrastructure, competition, and business competitiveness.
• Defended a strongly pro-EU orientation during debates on recovery, fiscal rules, and Italy’s place in Europe, reinforcing mainstream European alignment.
• Played a role in the national conversation on energy policy and the cost-of-living crisis, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, arguing for diversification of energy supply and pragmatic support for households and firms.
• Helped shape centrist legislative bargaining in parliament, particularly in the period after the collapse of the Draghi government, when moderate and reformist votes became politically relevant.
• Promoted liberal civil-rights positions in public debate, including a generally secular and rights-oriented stance in line with parts of Italy’s urban middle-class electorate.

Azione’s broader contribution is therefore political and systemic: it has attempted to keep alive a reformist, non-populist, pro-European middle ground in Italian politics. Whether that effort translates into long-term institutional influence remains open.

Outlook

Azione’s future depends on whether it can solve a basic strategic problem: the Italian electoral system rewards broad coalitions, while Azione’s identity works best when it remains distinct. This makes it hard to be simultaneously an independent centrist force and a coalition partner.

In the short term, the party will likely continue to focus on competence politics, economic reform, and criticism of both right-wing nationalism and left-wing ambiguity. It may appeal to professionals, moderate urban voters, business-oriented electors, and parts of the pro-EU middle class. However, it faces strong competition from larger forces that can absorb centrist themes without relying on a separate party label.

Its medium-term challenge is organisational durability. Azione has a visible leader, a clear tone, and a coherent policy brand, but it lacks the depth of social roots, municipal networks, and mass identity that more established parties possess. If it broadens beyond a leader-centred formation, it could become a stable liberal-centrist actor. If not, it risks remaining a politically influential but electorally limited niche party.

In the current Italian landscape, Azione is likely to remain relevant as a pressure group for reform, a potential coalition partner, and a repository for voters dissatisfied with ideological polarization. Its strongest asset is clarity of message; its biggest weakness is the difficulty of turning that message into a durable mass party.

Frequently asked questions

Is Azione left-wing or right-wing? Azione is neither strictly left-wing nor right-wing; it is best placed in the centre, with a liberal and reformist profile.

What ideology does Azione have? Azione’s ideology is centrism with liberal reformism, combining pro-European, pro-market, and institutionally modernising positions.

What does Azione stand for? Azione stands for competence, Europeanism, economic reform, administrative simplification, and political pragmatism.

Who founded Azione? Azione was founded by Carlo Calenda in 2019.

Is Azione part of a coalition? It has often negotiated alliances, but its role has been marked by attempts to preserve an independent centrist identity, including the short-lived Third Pole with Italia Viva.

What are Azione’s main voters? Its electorate tends to come from moderate, educated, urban, pro-EU, and economically liberal segments of the Italian electorate.