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The Olive Tree L'Ulivo
Italian National Federation of Parties
Leader	Romano Prodi
Headquarters	Piazza SS. Apostoli, 73 00187 Rome
Coalition	The Union
Political ideology	Social Democracy, centrism
Official newspaper	none
Website	http://www.ulivo.it
See also	Politics of Italy Political parties in Italy Elections in Italy

For information about the plant for which the political party is named, see Olive.

The Olive Tree (L'Ulivo) was a political denomination strongly related to Third Way policies in Italy and commonly adopted by center-to-left alliances of parties from 1996; its name was introduced by Romano Prodi, professor of economics, former left-wing Christian Democrat, and current Italian Prime Minister. It is now subsumed into the new coalition L'Unione, and its members merged to become the Democratic Party.

The Olive Tree participated in the general election of April 9 and 10, 2006, as confederation of three parties:

• Democrats of the Left
• Democracy is Freedom – Daisy
• European Republican Movement

The Olive Tree - together for Italy (l'Ulivo - insieme per l'Italia) was a coalition of left-wing and centrist political parties in Italy. In April 21, 1996, the Olive Tree won general elections in alliance with the Communist Refoundation Party, making Romano Prodi Prime Minister of Italy. In October 9, 1998, the Romano Prodi (1st Time) administration fell when the Communist Refoundation Party left the alliance. In October 21, 1998 the Olive Tree was the core of the Massimo D'Alema (1st Time) administration, in December 22, 1999 of the Massimo D'Alema (2nd Time) administration and in April 25, 2000 of the Giuliano Amato (2nd Time) administration. In May 13, 2001, led by Francesco Rutelli, the coalition lost the general elections against Silvio Berlusconi and his renewed center-to-right coalition, the House of Freedoms (Italian: Casa delle Libertà).

In June 12, 2004 the Olive Tree, as United in the Olive Tree (Uniti nell'Ulivo), ran in European Parliament Elections 2004 gaining 31.1% of popular votes. The Olive Tree of 2004 was a more strict alliance of only 3 out of 8 former affiliate parties (Democrats of the Left, Democracy is Freedom - Daisy and Italian Democratic Socialists) plus the European Republican Movement, a small new party.

In September 13, 2004 the Olive Tree became the Federation of United in the Olive Tree (Uniti nell'Ulivo) or, more shortly, the FED, consisting of same four parties that campaigned together in the European elections that summer.

A street stall for the all United in the Olive Tree coalition, during campaigning for the European Parliament elections 2004, seen in Como, Italy. Note that the poster shows Romano Prodi and roundels (party electoral/ballot logos) for each of the constituent parties in the coalition.

The Olive Tree Federation is led by Romano Prodi and aims to be the core of a greater center-left coalition, called The Union (Italian: L'Unione. Current member parties of the federation are:

• Democrats of the Left (Democratici di Sinistra)
• Daisy-Democracy is Freedom (Margherita - Democrazia è Libertà)
• European Republican Movement (Movimento Repubblicani Europei)

On February 10, 2005, the new name and logo of the larger electoral coalition was presented. Its name is The Union (L'Unione). It comprises the Federation of the Olive Tree (3 parties, after that the quit of the Italian Democratic Socialists) and all the centre-left parties allied with it (from Greens to Communists).

In 2006 general election, DS, DL and MRE formed a single list. Also the Italian Democratic Socialist Party (a different party from SDI) had candidates in the list.

Democrats of the Left (DS) and Daisy (DL) were heavily involved in the foundation of a new centre-left Democratic Party, a project strongly supported by current Italian PM Romano Prodi since his entering into politics.

Interest in joining the proposed Democratic Party was shown also by other minor parties, such as Italy of Values and Italian Democratic Socialists, and some civil society movements. However, the left-wing of the Democrats of the Left did not support the idea at all, since its members mainly oppose any possibility of leaving the Party of European Socialists (PES), and some of its number have since formed Democratic Left. Moreover, the conservative wing of the Daisy, often referred to as centrists or teo-dem, oppose in any form of PES membership at the European level, and instead wants explicit references to "Catholic roots" in the new party's statute.

The national assemblies of both DS and DL, held in late 2006, scheduled a founding convention for the Democratic Party which was eventually held on 14 October 2007.

• List of political parties in Italy

• (Italian) l'Ulivo
• (Italian) Uniti nell'Ulivo
• "Italy's Olive Tree" (1996) The Nation

v • d • e Political parties in Italy (complete version, historical parties)
The Union	Democratic Party – Communist Refoundation Party – Democratic Left Minor: Party of Italian Communists – Federation of the Greens – Italy of Values – Socialist Party – UDEUR Populars – Italian Radicals Micro: Liberal Democrats – Democratic Union – Critical Left – Italian Democratic Socialist Party – Citizens' Political Movement Regional: South Tyrolean People's Party – Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party – Valdotanian Renewal
House of Freedoms	Forza Italia – National Alliance – Union of Christian and Centre Democrats – Lega Nord Minor: The Right – Christian Democracy for the Autonomies – Movement for Autonomy – Pensioners' Party – Tricolour Flame – Social Action Micro: Italian Republican Party – Liberal Reformers – New Italian Socialist Party – Italians in the World Regional: Veneto for the EPP – Sardinian Reformers – Sardinian People's Party – Sardinian Democratic Union – New Sicily
Others	Micro: Italian Associations in South America – Socialist Party – Decide! Regional: Valdotanian Union – Edelweiss Aosta Valley – Autonomist Federation – Union for South Tyrol – The Libertarians – North-East Project – Sardinian Action Party Complete list
Portal:Politics - List of political parties - Politics of Italy