Al 53° Congresso dell'Internazionale Liberale di Belfast, il Presidente FdL Raffaello Morelli ha svolto questo intervento il 16 maggio a proposito della domanda di ammissione a LI del Partito Radicale.

Dear President Dear Liberals, 
As you are all aware, Italy is an extraordinary but very complex country.  If Liberalism has never obtained full comprehension in Italy, its actors have been of relevance for its improvement.  Many of yours shall remember Giovanni Malagodi , a lot of time LI President and Italian Liberals  leader. Yet , despite liberals efforts,  the present Congress programm, page twenty two, does not far of true writing about democratic recession in some countries - Italy is the only occidental country to be shown - where "democracy is increasingly undeermined by corporate wealth, the lack of free press, corrosive patronage and populist practises". Analogous considerations are made by Critica Liberale, that is here in Belfast as italian member of  LI Think Tank. So it is evident that LI must to do something to support italian liberals. And when a small organization, FdL, PLI's direct heir, the only authentic liberal movement in Italy that pursues and fights for liberal values and the constitution of a society based on freedom, individual rights and choice, the rule of law, and non the last  a free and open market concurrential, when we italian liberals make some remarks, I think, we have all the credits to bring a positive input to the discussion it's taking place here today  about RP application.   For us , the problem is not entering RP in LI. From long time  Italian Liberals, had carried  out  together  Radical Party many political initiative, actions, statements and fought  several battles, particularly when it concerns individual rights. Although liberal and radical are divided by many points of distinction.  For istance radical have been less active when it concerns the economy, and this is a lack, particularly in a global economy. Or radicals strongly attack english libdem for their proportionalistic choice. Or the methodological approach that we employ and they seem to ignore. For example, radicals have supported a general pardon that liberated thousands of convicted criminals. We opposed as any liberal around the world. Today, two years later,  reality demonstrates we were right. But all these are differences between liberal people, that is possible surmount, above all in the condition of italian democratic recession. Despite my abstension in Executive Committee, FdL is glad  the RP has approached LI. We would endorse their entrance and enrollment, despite  they are sometime waving about pursuing liberal values. Their participation in the LI would be  overall positive. They would bear an important contribute.   Unfortunately, as things are today, the entrance of RP in LI would create some problems to LI when it concerns its liberal basis. Problems to be resolved by the Congress, not pushed under the carpet.  I please you to carefully read the documentation we filed to LI and you have available in your reader. I will try to avoid any confusing link to Italian politics although they can be useful to our explanation. After spending a legislature with the Socialist Party, the RP joined Partito Democratico during last italian election. You all know the election's result. PD was not defeated, it was humiliated. The defeat is even worse if we consider that the previous Prodi's government was dismissed by pressions internal to the PD. Walter Veltroni is the person to be blamed guilty for Prodi's fall. And Walter Veltroni alone decided solving the coalition Unione ( all parties centre left) who defeat Berlusconi in 2006 general elections. RP decided to join PD's lists  despite these PD's choices and despite in PD's program there's no call for liberal policies, reforms values. I mean no attempt to pursue anything we might consider as "liberal".  This is also why we were very astonished when LI publicly endorsed PD and Veltroni on the eve of elections.  In the late month, everybody saw that, after many years of hate toward and against Mr. Berlusconi, PD and its defeated leader Mr. Veltroni, have decided to find an agreement with Berlusconi. They do not oppose him, but they look for a great alliance with him. Today they meet  in Rome on the basis of  common plebiscitarian leadership that in Italy is a vise much stronger than goverment in Germany. Liberalism and the liberal method taught us something different. Opposition means respect first of all, but it means proposing something else to what the Government in charge pursue. For that Liberals, without hate, are been constantly against Berlusconi politics, then and now. It's an other sign on how Mr. Veltroni and PD are anything but not liberal.  Nevertheless, after the epical PD' defeat, RP decided to join the PD group in the Italian parliament. They could have opted for a radical-liberal group in the mixed parliamentary group but they refused. The RP representant said yesterday in the Executice Committee that they remain a party distinct  from PD. Then, why they enter the PD group ? RP had the chance to detach itself from PD but has not done it yet.   However, I am wondering wether LI members are seriously thinking to open their doors to any organization that proclaim to pursue liberal values but act in any way but not liberal. Now, it is the second time in a month, that LI seems to give credit  to PD positions. And in Italy liberals will be strongly blamed if , through RP entrance in LI, appear that LI is favouring PD politics.    We don't oppose RP. As I said we have walked along several battles with them. This is why we openly ask them to leave PD and take an authentic liberal way, or at least that  our Congress adopt a resolution with clear border towards PD. Till now we do'nt receive any response to our objections except that LI works strictly togheter ELDR. Very well.   But everybody in Italy knows that PD , who has a big majority  composed of former Leftish DS , shall not abandon the   PSE.  Give credit to PD positions is the opposite way to the one required to support italian liberals to fight the italian democratic recession.  If  the Bureau is favourable to RP application and RP does not  detach for the moment  from PD group, at least LI detach itself from the PD.  You, as authentic liberals, have the chance to invite RP to do so and above all you can mark the border with refuse to PD  . We all togheter have the opportunity to create a greater liberal movement in Italy. The EU elections are a great chance. But all that presuppose in Italy political clearness and unequivocal opposition . I am praying the Congress once more that adopt careful decision based on the documents you have with you. We need a political decision on how to help Italian democracy, not to escape a practice of good neighbourliness with the RP which in itself is not a problem.  If we believe in liberal values we have to fight for it, not give it up. It's your choice.  
Thank you!