ABSTRACT
The founding of the Ulivo alliance marked a sea change in the campaigning strategy of the parties of the Center-Left since the disastrous defeat of 1994. Walter Veltroni had risen to number two position within the Partito Democratico della Sinistra and he was a keen advocate of the Ulivo campaign which he carefully planned and managed. The Catholic center was well represented by the remnants of the ex-Christian Democratic Party, the progressive faction of which eventually won the battle for control of the Partito Popolare Italiano and stood as part of the Ulivo alliance in the parliamentary elections. The commitment to reform of the public administration which had been a key feature of the Ulivo election program found expression in a draft bill presented to the Senate in July under the joint authorship of Franco Bassanini, Romano Prodi and Giorgio Napolitano. The budget bill was always likely to be a source of potential conflict both inside and outside the Ulivo coalition.
