The 2021 Democratic Party leadership by-election was an election held on 14 March 2021 in which the members of the Democratic Party's National Assembly elected the party Secretary, whose seat had been vacant since 4 March of the same year.
Procedure Under the internal rules of the Democratic Party, if an incumbent Secretary resigns, the National Assembly can either decide to dissolve itself and call a new primary election, or choose a new Secretary who will serve until the expiration of the Assembly's four years term.
Candidates Portrait Name Offices held Enrico Letta(age ) Prime Minister of Italy(2013–2014)
History The 2019 Democratic Party leadership election had been won by Nicola Zingaretti, who had become Secretary after winning over 66% of the vote. On 4 March 2021, Zingaretti resigned, planning to hand the party's leadership to former Prime Minister Enrico Letta. Letta, who at the time was working in Paris as a university professor, immediately returned to Italy, where he was elected Secretary by the National Assembly in a nearly unanimous vote. In his first speech as leader of the Democratic Party, he set out his agenda, which included the formation a broad alliance alongside centre-left and centrist political forces, making it easier for children of immigrants to obtain Italian citizenship, lowering the minimum voting age from 18 to 16, the introduction of an anti-defection law, and an electoral law reform.
Results National Assembly of the Democratic Party Motion to elect Enrico Letta Secretary of the Democratic Party, 14 March 2021 Ballot → In favor Against Abstentions
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