The New Italian Socialist Party or New PSI ( or Nuovo PSI, NPSI), more recently styled as Liberal Socialists – NPSI, is a political party in Italy which professes a social-democratic ideology and claims to be the successor to the historical Italian Socialist Party, which was disbanded after the judiciary tempest of the early 1990s (see Mani pulite). The party was founded in 2001 as Socialist Party – New PSI (Partito Socialista – Nuovo PSI), during a founding congress in Milan, but after the 2007 split of the Socialist Party, headed by Gianni De Michelis and Mauro Del Bue, it assumed the current name, under the leadership of Stefano Caldoro. Most of the party's members are former followers of Bettino Craxi, who was convicted for corruption and whom New Socialists often portray as a victim of political persecution. The NPSI has been a member of the centre-right House of Freedoms coalition for most of its history, as the Italian centre-left has been dominated by former communists, the main opponents of the Socialist Party led by Craxi (most of the Craxi's followers had earlier joined Forza Italia). The NPSI defines itself as a "liberal socialist", "reformist" and "anti-communist" party. The main leader of the party was Gianni De Michelis, who left the party in 2007 and was replaced by Stefano Caldoro. In 2007, several members also left to join the Socialist Party, allied with the centre-left, while what remained of the NPSI was merged into the centre-right PdL. From 2010 to 2015, party leader Caldoro served as President of Campania for the PdL. History Foundation The party was founded on 19 January 2001 by the merger of the Socialist Party of Gianni De Michelis, the Socialist League of Bobo Craxi and former members of the Italian Democratic Socialist Party. 2001 general election At its founding congress, the NPSI decided to enter the centre-right House of Freedoms (CdL) coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi (a former friend of Bettino Craxi) as the centre-left was considered too compromised with the Mani pulite investigation, upon which the old Italian Socialist Party was disbanded while the ex Communists were not touched. The centre-right won the 2001 general election and Berlusconi appointed NPSI's Stefano Caldoro as Deputy Minister for Education in his government. In the election, the NPSI gained just 1.0% of the vote and had three deputies (Craxi, Vincenzo Milioto and Chiara Moroni) and one senator