Party of the South
Encyclopedia
The Party of the South is a proposed political party in Italy.
The party is intended to be a merger of some regionalist
parties active in Southern Italy, notably including the Movement for Autonomies (MpA) of Raffaele Lombardo
, along with splinter groups from The People of Freedom
(PdL) and possibly the Democratic Party
(PD). Other than MpA, there at least five notable regionalist parties active in the South (Force of the South
, The Populars of Italy Tomorrow, Populars for the South, We the South
and I the South).
might have launched a new party in Southern Italy, in order to counterbalance the weight of Lega Nord, key ally of the PdL in the North
and junior partner in the current centre-right government
. These included Gianfranco Micciché, Antonio Martino
and Stefania Prestigiacomo
, and there were rumors that they might have been supported by Marcello Dell'Utri
. Also Agazio Loiero and Antonio Bassolino
, Democratic
then Presidents of Calabria
and Campania
respectively, expressed their interest in the project.
Silvio Berlusconi
tried successfully (for now) to stop Micciché, who was undersecretary
in his government, from founding the new party. Micciché seemed however persuaded to push forward with his project and gathered all those who were interested in the idea in Sorrento
in mid July. In his mind the new party should have been an ally of the PdL as the Bavaria
n CSU
is of the CDU
in Germany
, but it should be "something different" from the MpA.
At that point it was not yet clear if the "Party of the South" would have been independent from the PdL or simply a branch of it. Lombardo, for his part, remarked that there were actually two different projects, his and Micciché's, while encouraging Micciché to "cut the umbilical cord" from the PdL.
newspaper, Micciché re-launched the prospects of a Party of the South (that would come to existence only in the occasion of a general election and with the "benediction" of Berlusconi) in order to balance the weight of Lega Nord in the government and the coalition, while proclaiming the "superiority" of Southern Italians. However Micciché was not clear on whether such a party would be a separate entity from the PdL or his real goal was to organize the PdL on a "federal" basis.
At the beginning of November a substantial group of Sicilian regional deputies of the PdL formed a separate caucus within the Sicilian Regional Assembly
under the name of "The People of Freedom–Sicily", which was later changed into the simpler and more evocative "Sicily".
In December 2009 Raffaele Lombardo
, leader of MpA and President of Sicily, formed his third cabinet which included ministers from his MpA party, the PdL–Sicily and the newly formed regional section of Alliance for Italy
(ApI), plus some independents, including one who was close to the opposition PD. No members of the "official" PdL or of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC) were included.
In March 2010 Micciché stated that he was ready to leave the PdL in order to form the Party of the South, as there was no chance left of launching it from within the PdL, or the "Sicilian People's Party" in its regional version. Lombardo, for his part, reassured that the party would have come to life soon, despite the opposition of Angelino Alfano
, who was the major rival of Micciché within the PdL.
, a wing of the UDC and ApI) plus the PD. At the same time Micciché announced his exit from the PdL and his intention to launch a "Sicilian people's party", which would have merged in the future with other southern "people's parties" to form the Party of the South. In October 2010 Force of the South
(FdS) was launched and 5 regional deputies of the PdL–Sicily out of 16 joined it, plus 7 national deputies and 3 senators.
In March 2010 Micciché reached an agreement with Adriana Poli Bortone
of I the South and Arturo Iannaccone of We the South
in order to form a joint "party of the South", a move that was this time supported by Berlusconi. At the same time Lombardo announced that the MpA would soon merge into a larger "party of the South".
, Iannaccone's We the South
and Poli Bortone's I the South jointly launched Great South
.
The party is intended to be a merger of some regionalist
Regionalism (politics)
Regionalism is a term used in international relations. Regionalism also constitutes one of the three constituents of the international commercial system...
parties active in Southern Italy, notably including the Movement for Autonomies (MpA) of Raffaele Lombardo
Raffaele Lombardo
Raffaele Lombardo is an Italian politician, President of Sicily and former Member of the European Parliament for Islands with the Movement for Autonomies and has sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.He is a substitute for the Committee on the...
, along with splinter groups from The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom is a centre-right political party in Italy. With the Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties of the current Italian party system....
(PdL) and possibly the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
(PD). Other than MpA, there at least five notable regionalist parties active in the South (Force of the South
Force of the South
Force of the South is a liberal-conservative political party in Italy based in Sicily.In September 2010, after years of weighting , Gianfranco Micciché, long-time leader of Forza Italia and, later, The People of Freedom in Sicily and Under-Secretary in Berlusconi IV Cabinet, announced his exit...
, The Populars of Italy Tomorrow, Populars for the South, We the South
We the South
We the South , in full We the South – Freedom and Autonomy , is a regionalist-centrist political party in Italy based in the South.-History:...
and I the South).
Early moves
Starting from early 2009 there were crescent rumors about which a group of leading members of the PdL in SicilySicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
might have launched a new party in Southern Italy, in order to counterbalance the weight of Lega Nord, key ally of the PdL in the North
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
and junior partner in the current centre-right government
Berlusconi IV Cabinet
Berlusconi IV Cabinet has been the cabinet of the government of Italy from 8 May 2008 to 16 November 2011.As of July 2011, it was composed of 24 ministers, 4 deputy ministers and 39 under-secretaries, for a total of 67 members.-Sources:*...
. These included Gianfranco Micciché, Antonio Martino
Antonio Martino
Antonio Martino is an Italian politician, who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1994 and Italian Minister of Defense from 2001 to 2006. He is a founding member of Forza Italia, holding party card no. 2.-Career:...
and Stefania Prestigiacomo
Stefania Prestigiacomo
Stefania Prestigiacomo is the Italian Minister of the Environment and Protection of Land and Sea.-Biography:Stefania Prestigiacomo is a graduate in Public Administration. In 1990, she became the president of the Young Entrepreneurs Group of Syracuse, Sicily.In 1994 she joined the House of...
, and there were rumors that they might have been supported by Marcello Dell'Utri
Marcello Dell'Utri
Marcello Dell'Utri is an influential Italian politician and senior advisor to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi...
. Also Agazio Loiero and Antonio Bassolino
Antonio Bassolino
Antonio Bassolino, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian politician. He has been President of the Campania region from 2000 to 2010.-Biography:Bassolino was born in Afragola, Campania...
, Democratic
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
then Presidents of Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
and Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
respectively, expressed their interest in the project.
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
tried successfully (for now) to stop Micciché, who was undersecretary
Undersecretary
An under secretary is an executive government official in many countries, frequently a career public servant, who typically acts as a senior administrator or second-in-command to a politically-appointed Cabinet Minister or other government official...
in his government, from founding the new party. Micciché seemed however persuaded to push forward with his project and gathered all those who were interested in the idea in Sorrento
Sorrento
Sorrento is the name of many cities and towns:*Sorrento, Italy*Sorrento, Florida, United States*Sorrento, Louisiana, United States*Sorrento, Maine, United States*Sorrento, Victoria, a township on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia...
in mid July. In his mind the new party should have been an ally of the PdL as the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n CSU
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
is of the CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, but it should be "something different" from the MpA.
At that point it was not yet clear if the "Party of the South" would have been independent from the PdL or simply a branch of it. Lombardo, for his part, remarked that there were actually two different projects, his and Micciché's, while encouraging Micciché to "cut the umbilical cord" from the PdL.
The PdL–Sicily
In October 2009 in an interview with the Corriere della SeraCorriere della Sera
The Corriere della Sera is an Italian daily newspaper, published in Milan.It is among the oldest and most reputable Italian newspapers. Its main rivals are Rome's La Repubblica and Turin's La Stampa.- History :...
newspaper, Micciché re-launched the prospects of a Party of the South (that would come to existence only in the occasion of a general election and with the "benediction" of Berlusconi) in order to balance the weight of Lega Nord in the government and the coalition, while proclaiming the "superiority" of Southern Italians. However Micciché was not clear on whether such a party would be a separate entity from the PdL or his real goal was to organize the PdL on a "federal" basis.
At the beginning of November a substantial group of Sicilian regional deputies of the PdL formed a separate caucus within the Sicilian Regional Assembly
Sicilian Regional Assembly
The Sicilian Regional Assembly is the legislative body of the Sicily, as provided in its special status. By virtue of its particular state legislature, Regional Assembly is the only regional assembly to have the title of parliament and its components are defined Deputies.- History :The Sicilian...
under the name of "The People of Freedom–Sicily", which was later changed into the simpler and more evocative "Sicily".
In December 2009 Raffaele Lombardo
Raffaele Lombardo
Raffaele Lombardo is an Italian politician, President of Sicily and former Member of the European Parliament for Islands with the Movement for Autonomies and has sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.He is a substitute for the Committee on the...
, leader of MpA and President of Sicily, formed his third cabinet which included ministers from his MpA party, the PdL–Sicily and the newly formed regional section of Alliance for Italy
Alliance for Italy
Alliance for Italy is a centrist political party in Italy.The party, which is described in its manifesto as "democratic, liberal, popular" as opposed both to "right-wing populism" and the "social-democratic left, an experience with high and memorable value, yet by now run out", was launched on 11...
(ApI), plus some independents, including one who was close to the opposition PD. No members of the "official" PdL or of the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC) were included.
In March 2010 Micciché stated that he was ready to leave the PdL in order to form the Party of the South, as there was no chance left of launching it from within the PdL, or the "Sicilian People's Party" in its regional version. Lombardo, for his part, reassured that the party would have come to life soon, despite the opposition of Angelino Alfano
Angelino Alfano
Angelino Alfano is an Italian politician who served as Italy's Minister of Justice from 2008 to 2011, as part of the Berlusconi IV Cabinet...
, who was the major rival of Micciché within the PdL.
Force of the South
In September 2010 Lombardo broke with Micciché and formed his fourth cabinet supported by the so-called "third pole" coalition (MpA, Future and FreedomFuture and Freedom
Future and Freedom , whose complete name is Future and Freedom for Italy is a centre-right political party in Italy....
, a wing of the UDC and ApI) plus the PD. At the same time Micciché announced his exit from the PdL and his intention to launch a "Sicilian people's party", which would have merged in the future with other southern "people's parties" to form the Party of the South. In October 2010 Force of the South
Force of the South
Force of the South is a liberal-conservative political party in Italy based in Sicily.In September 2010, after years of weighting , Gianfranco Micciché, long-time leader of Forza Italia and, later, The People of Freedom in Sicily and Under-Secretary in Berlusconi IV Cabinet, announced his exit...
(FdS) was launched and 5 regional deputies of the PdL–Sicily out of 16 joined it, plus 7 national deputies and 3 senators.
In March 2010 Micciché reached an agreement with Adriana Poli Bortone
Adriana Poli Bortone
Adriana Poli Bortone is an Italian politician andwas an Alleanza Nazionale Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2008. She represented Southern Italy...
of I the South and Arturo Iannaccone of We the South
We the South
We the South , in full We the South – Freedom and Autonomy , is a regionalist-centrist political party in Italy based in the South.-History:...
in order to form a joint "party of the South", a move that was this time supported by Berlusconi. At the same time Lombardo announced that the MpA would soon merge into a larger "party of the South".
Great South
On 14 July 2011 Micciché's Force of the SouthForce of the South
Force of the South is a liberal-conservative political party in Italy based in Sicily.In September 2010, after years of weighting , Gianfranco Micciché, long-time leader of Forza Italia and, later, The People of Freedom in Sicily and Under-Secretary in Berlusconi IV Cabinet, announced his exit...
, Iannaccone's We the South
We the South
We the South , in full We the South – Freedom and Autonomy , is a regionalist-centrist political party in Italy based in the South.-History:...
and Poli Bortone's I the South jointly launched Great South
Great South (party)
Great South is a regionalist centre-right coalition of parties in Italy.Launched on 14 July 2011, it is composed of:*Force of the South...
.