party formed out of several centrist parties belonging to the centre-left coalition. The May 2001 the general election was won by Berlusconi and his allies (including, once again, Lega Nord), which led to Berlusconi forming his second government in June. Dini was elected to the Italian Senate, and, in this capacity, served as a delegate to the Convention in charge of drafting the European Constitution (February 2002 – July 2003). The People of Freedom In September 2007, a month before Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy merged with the Democrats of the Left to form the new big tent centre-left Democratic Party, Dini broke away from The Daisy to form the Liberal Democrats, a new incarnation of Italian Renewal. As the protagonist of the defeat of the government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi in a January 2008 Senate vote, in view of the 2008 Italian general election Dini joined The People of Freedom, the newly created Italian liberal-conservative party led by Silvio Berlusconi. Honours In 2000 during a state visit to the United Kingdom he was awarded an honorary Knighthood Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George. On 29 April 2009, the Japanese government announced that it awarded Dini the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun; the honour was presented to him by the Emperor and the Japanese Prime Minister in a formal ceremony in May 2009. Foreign honours : Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (2000). References |- |- |- |- |- 1931 births Living people Politicians from Florence Independent politicians in Italy Italian Renewal politicians Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy politicians Liberal Democrats (Italy) politicians Prime Ministers of Italy Foreign ministers of Italy Italian Ministers of Justice Deputies of Legislature XIII of Italy Senators of Legislature XIV of Italy Senators of Legislature XV of Italy Senators of Legislature XVI of Italy Italian economists University of Michigan alumni Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George