Popular Democratic Front (Italy)

The Popular Democratic Front (Italian: Fronte Democratico Popolare or FDP), also known as the Popular Front (Italian: Fronte Popolare or FP), was an electoral alliance of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) for the 1948 general election.

The Front was formed in 1947 with the goal of presenting a unified left-wing alternative to the Christian Democracy (DC). Its platform focused on social reforms, workers' rights, land redistribution, and opposition to Italy's alignment with the Western Bloc in the emerging Cold War.

The alliance was led by PCI leader Palmiro Togliatti and PSI leader Pietro Nenni. The Front used the image of Giuseppe Garibaldi, a symbol of Italian unification and independence, as its emblem.

Despite a strong campaign, the Popular Democratic Front was defeated in the 1948 election by the DC. The DC, supported by the Catholic Church and the United States, won an absolute majority of seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

Following the defeat, the alliance between the PCI and PSI gradually dissolved. While the two parties continued to cooperate on certain issues, the Front was not revived for subsequent elections. The 1948 election marked a turning point in Italian politics, solidifying the dominance of the DC and marking the beginning of a long period of center-right government.