was a founding member of the Populars for Italy (PpI), which he subsequently left in July 2014 to form Solidary Democracy (Demo.S). In the 2014 European Parliament election the UpT endorsed Herbert Dorfmann, top candidate of the South Tyrolean People's Party. Mellarini v. Dellai In the run-up of the 2015 municipal election in Trento Dellai launched Democratic Civic Construction (CCD), intended to integrate a larger electorate than that of the UpT alone. The list, which was approved by the provincial board of the party, despite Conzatti's opposition, and could be intended as a move toward an integration of the UpT into the PD, was the third largest in the election. The list was present also in Dro, where senator Fravezzi was re-elected mayor by a landslide. In October Conzatti, who had lost the support of the party's majority, announced that the UpT would elect its new leadership during a congress in January 2016. In the run-up of the congress, two candidates announced their bid for secretary: Dellai, supported by the party's old guard, and Tiziano Mellarini, regional minister and standard-bearer of a diverse front including Conzatti, Gilmozzi, former senator Renzo Michelini, all the provincial councillors and the municipal section of Trento; Dellai proposed a centre-left characterisation of the party, a closer relationship with the PD and a renewed alliance with the PATT, while Mellarini, a centrist, craved for an alliance with centrist parties, took inspiration from the European People's Party, would like the UpT to be equidistant from both the PD and the PATT. During the congressional campaign, while re-affirming his allegiance to the "autonomist centre-left" coalition and denying any "neo-centrist turn", Mellarini made clear that the CCD should not become a party (its members should be active as UpT members) and that a dialogue with unaffiliated "civic" forces, possibly including PT, should be welcome; on the contrary, Dellai and his supporters explained that his bid was intended to "avoid the genetic modification of the party" and that CCD would continue anyway. On congress' day Dellai retired from the race and hinted that he was leaving the party. Consequently, Mellarini was almost unanimously elected secretary. He did not, however, officially accept his election as the office of secretary was incompatible with that of provincial minister, according to the party's constitution. Mellarini's supporters, including outgoing secretary Conzatti, proposed to cancel that provision, through a vote by party members, an option that