Notable founding members included Nichi Vendola (former leader of SEL), Loredana De Petris, Stefano Fassina, and Sergio Cofferati.

In November, one senator (Corradino Mineo)[7] and three more deputies (Alfredo D'Attorre [it], Carlo Galli [es; it] and Vincenzo Folino [it])[8][9] left the party in protest against Renzi.

D'Attorre, who holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies,[10] wrote a manifesto for a new "labour" party, which was signed also by the other five MPs and, which read: "The genetic mutation of the PD, born as central force of the Italian centre-left, is unfortunately already completed.

The party did particularly well in Sesto Fiorentino, a medium-sized city in the metropolitan area of Florence, where it won 17.5% of the vote and its candidate for mayor was elected in the run-off with 65.5%, by beating his Democratic opponent.

[34] On 3 December 2017, SI established Free and Equal (LeU), a left-wing joint list for the 2018 general election, together with the MDP and Possible, and chose the president of the Senate and former anti-Mafia prosecutor Pietro Grasso as its leader and candidate for Prime Minister.

In October, SI focused on forming an alliance with Luigi de Magistris' Popular Coalition for the 2019 European Parliament election, and broke with the MDP and LeU.

[39][40] For the 2019 European Parliament election, SI formed a joint list named The Left with the Communist Refoundation Party and other left-wing and far-left groups.

[53] In July 2022, SI and EV held a joint convention in Rome named "New Energies", promoting their cooperation and a unitary electoral program.

[54] The alliance deliberately took inspiration from the New Ecologic and Social People's Union, the left-wing list formed in the run-up of the 2022 French legislative election.

[55] Following the fall of Draghi's government, the early dissolution of the Italian Parliament and the calling of the 2022 general election, the AVS was officially launched and its logo presented.

The November 2023 congress, in which Fratoianni was re-elected secretary, marked the return to active politics by Nichi Vendola, former SEL leader, who was elected president.

[70] The party strongly supports the reduction of working hours for equal pay,[71][72] the introduction of a minimum wage (of at least 10 euros per hour)[73][74] to combat "poverty, social despair and precariousness"[75] (such as the citizenship income to which it's in favour),[76]and the introduction of a representation law to combat exploitation and promote good employment, with the aim of rebuilding a relationship and political representation of labour.

[99][100] This is done through the elimination of the IMU and stamp duty, replacing them with a single and progressive tax on large net assets per natural person, in order to obtain tens of billions of euros to be used for health, education, free nurseries, pensions and public transport.

[106] The party is strongly in favour of the legalisation of euthanasia,[107] the legalisation of cannabis (mainly to combat crime),[108][109] LGBT rights,[110][111] the introduction of jus soli,[112] medical abortion in day hospital,[113][114] gestation for others (solidarity, altruistic and regulated)[115][116] and the introduction of identification codes on the uniforms of law enforcement officers to prevent them from engaging in illicit behaviour (such as abuse of power) on the civilians.

[119][120] The party, in addition to being in favor of granting citizenship to minor children of legal foreigners born and raised in Italy (ius soli),[121] supports the timely rescue of migrants in the sea, their reception and integration,[122] their regularisation for the recognition of the "invisible"[123] and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.