Ruffini Launches New Political Group “Più Uno” in Italy

Italian politician Ernesto Ruffini has launched a new political movement named "Più Uno" ("Plus One"), positioning it as an answer to what he sees as the limits of Italy's existing center-left alliance.

According to Ruffini, the so-called "campo largo" ("wide field") coalition, which currently brings together several center-left and centrist parties, is insufficient on its own to win broad public support.

Instead, he has proposed what he calls a "campo aperto", or "open field" — a political space explicitly designed to engage citizens who abstain from voting rather than simply uniting existing parties.

Ruffini drew a direct comparison between his new initiative and the Ulivo, the historic center-left coalition that shaped Italian politics in the 1990s. He stated that Più Uno shares the same level of political ambition as that earlier project.

On fiscal policy, Ruffini addressed the contentious issue of a wealth tax, a levy imposed on the assets of wealthy individuals, and declared himself opposed to such a measure, distancing his movement from more radical left-wing economic proposals.

The formal launch of the movement was marked by the signing of its founding act, a legal document that officially establishes an organisation, which Ruffini signed alongside Gabrielli.

Following the signing ceremony, Ruffini declared, "Now we really begin," a statement framing the moment as the genuine starting point for the movement's political activity, rather than a purely symbolic gesture.

The initiative appears aimed at reshaping Italy's center-left landscape by attracting disengaged voters who have grown disillusioned with traditional party politics, though the summary of the launch does not detail further specific policy commitments.

It remains unclear how Più Uno will interact with existing parties within the campo largo coalition, or whether it intends to function as an independent political force or as a complementary addition to the current alliance.

Observers will likely watch closely to see whether the movement can translate its stated ambition into a concrete electoral strategy in the months ahead.