Italian centre-left primary election, 2012
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Primary election results map. Red denotes provinces with a Bersani plurality and Azure denotes those with a Renzi plurality.
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The 2012 Italian centre-left primary election determined the leader of the coalition Italy. Common Good, who will stand as common candidate for the office of Prime Minister in the subsequent general election, which will take place on 24–25 February 2013. It was won with 61% of the votes by Pier Luigi Bersani, who defeated Matteo Renzi in the run-off.
The coalition, launched on 13 October 2012, comprises the Democratic Party (PD), Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) and the Italian Socialist Party (PSI).
Alliance for Italy (ApI), though officially still member of the centrist coalition New Pole for Italy, decided to take part in the contest, fielding a candidate from its own ranks.
After a heated debate inside the PD, the primary election was announced by its leader Pier Luigi Bersani, on 8 June 2012, during a national direction of the party, even before the official coalition formation. Several bosses of the party openly opposed the decision, stating that Bersani was to be declared the coalition leader outright and deeming the primary process counterproductive for the party.
Defying the internal opposition, on 14 July, Bersani confirmed the decision, which was approved by the party's national assembly, and announced his intention to run. On 31 July Bersani presented a "Charter of Values" that every candidate must accept in order to take part to the election. The charter was soon endorsed by Nichi Vendola, leader of SEL, who, as widely expected, later said he would run too.
On 13 September Matteo Renzi (PD), mayor of Florence, officially announced his bid to become the coalition leader. The announcement came after a lengthy struggle, with his candidacy hotly contested by the PD governing body, since the party charter clearly states that the party leader (in this case Bersani) is automatically the party candidate for Prime Minister, so barring any other PD member from running in the primaries. Anyway, in the wake of a grassroots campaign in support of a broader contest, and with Bersani's own consent, the party statute was expressly modified to allow multiple candidatures.
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