It was conceived in 2003 by Mario Segni, Carlo Scognamiglio Pasini (ex-PLI, ex-PL, ex-FI, ex-UDR, ex-UpR, ex-FdL and ex-DE) and Michele Cossa (leader of the Sardinian Reformers), as a centrist party alternative to the centre-left.
Segni and Scognamiglio launched PLD in time for contesting the 2004 European Parliament election, in which they hoped to attract many disgruntled centre-right voters.
Instead PLD scored only 0.5% (7.4% in Sardinia, where its regional division, the Sardinian Reformers, is aligned with the House of Freedoms).
[1] In early 2007 Segni became Coordinator of the Promoting Committee of the Electoral Referendum, led by Giovanni Guzzetta.
This would place Segni alongside politicians such as Gianni Alemanno, Angelino Alfano, Mercedes Bresso, Riccardo Illy, Renato Brunetta, Antonio Martino, Giovanna Melandri, Arturo Parisi, Daniele Capezzone, Stefania Prestigiacomo, Gaetano Quagliariello, and Giorgio Tonini in the fight for a majority based electoral system.