[2] They included Ugo Intini, Enrico Manca, Gianni De Michelis, Fabrizio Cicchitto, Margherita Boniver, Donato Robilotta and Craxi's son, Bobo.
De Michelis was elected secretary of the new party upon its foundation, which was viewed by many as the direct continuation of the PS, which joined the House of Freedoms coalition.
[5] Bettino Craxi, the last PSI Secretary, did not approve the project and considered it as a wrong move, but Intini stated that he was trying to refound a new socialist party and not the craxist one.
[6] The PS participated independently to the 1996 general election; however, the Ministry of Interior forced the party to change its name and symbol, in order to avoid confusion with the old PSI.
[9][10] The three deputies elected for the Sicilian Regional Assembly were Salvatore Cintola in Palermo (who would leave the party a few years later), Giovanni Ricevuto in Messina and Nunzio Calanna in Catania.
[28] Intini stated:[29] The truth is that, outside of the contingent smoke screens, they want to go with the right.Later, De Michelis confirmed his intent to approach the centre-right coalition in order to collaborate with Silvio Berlusconi,[30] leader of Forza Italia and the Pole of Freedoms along with Umberto Bossi of Lega Nord.
On 31 October 1998, Intini proposed the creation of a united SDI-PS electoral list for the 1999 European elections,[36] but the PS opposed.
[37] At the end, after a meeting between SDI leaders and Bettino Craxi, the son Bobo presented himself with the party of Boselli in the district of Southern Italy, placed second on the list next to the secretary.
[39] On 22 June 1999, after the European elections had concluded, some socialists including Cicchitto and Boniver left the party and joined Forza Italia.