[4] In fact the followers of Rutelli, the so-called Rutelliani, included both the secular-liberal faction of the late DL (Paolo Gentiloni, Ermete Realacci and his group of ecologists, Linda Lanzillotta, Gianni Vernetti, Roberto Giachetti, etc.
), who represented the more free market-oriented wing of the PD, and the socially conservative Teodems (Paola Binetti, Luigi Bobba, Enzo Carra, Donato Mosella, etc.
As told, there was also a group of ecologists from Legambiente, the largest environmentalist association n Italy (Realacci, Roberto Della Seta, Francesco Ferrante, etc.).
Rutelli thus considered himself as a bridge between liberals and Christian democrats, and his conservative stances on advance health care directive, stem cell research and civil unions did not stop him from having a profitable dialogue with secularists and even with his former political godfather Marco Pannella, undisputed leader of the Italian Radicals.
[5] During Walter Veltroni's leadership of the party, some Rutelliani (such as Gentiloni and Realacci) seemed to distance from Rutelli, who was taking a more conservative approach.