Early groups of Ulivists were formed in 1995–1996, during the campaign for the 1996 general election, by close supporters of Romano Prodi who, as him, were not members of any party of The Olive Tree.
In opposition to this, Prodi supporters, grassroots activists, disgruntled Populars and other groups (including The Network and Italy of Values) organized a new "Ulivist" party, The Democrats.
[2][3] The supporters of Bindi included Arturo Parisi, Mario Barbi, Giulio Santagata, Sandra Zampa, Sandro Gozi, Franco Monaco, Marina Magistrelli, Gad Lerner, Gianfranco Morgando, Nando Della Chiesa, Vittorio Prodi, Roberto Zaccaria, Giovanni Bachelet, Franca Chiaromonte and Albertina Soliani.
[4] In July 2008 the core Olivists broke with Bindi and her group (Bachelet, Morgando, Zaccaria, Magistrelli, Dalla Chiesa), who formed Democrats Really, a separate association.
The reason of the separation was that Bindi was much less critical of PD leader Walter Veltroni and preferred to collaborate with him, instead of simply opposing him.
On the other hand the Olivists (Parisi, Barbi, Recchia, Lerner, Zampa, Monaco, Gozi, Santagata) decided to continue their frontal opposition to Veltroni, especially denouncing his political line and the lack of internal democracy within the party.