National Alliance was a
conservativeConservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
political party in Italy.
Gianfranco FiniGianfranco Fini is an Italian politician, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, leader of the center-right Future and Freedom party, and the former leader of the conservative National Alliance and the post-fascist Italian Social Movement...
was the leader of the party since its foundation in 1995, however he stepped down in 2008 after being elected to the nominally non-partisan post of President of the
Italian Chamber of DeputiesThe Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
and was succeeded by
Ignazio La RussaIgnazio Benito Maria La Russa is an Italian politician . He became Minister of Defence in the fourth cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi on 8 May 2008...
, who managed to merge the party into
The People of FreedomThe 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). This finally happened in 2009.
Foundation
National Alliance was formed in January 1994 when the
Italian Social MovementThe Italian Social Movement , and later the Italian Social Movement–National Right , was a neo-fascist and post-fascist political party in Italy. Formed in 1946 by supporters of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the party became the fourth largest party in Italy by the early 1960s...
(MSI), the former
neo-fascistNeo-fascism is a post–World War II ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. The term neo-fascist may apply to groups that express a specific admiration for Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism or any other fascist leader/state...
party, merged with conservative elements of the former
Christian DemocracyChristian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
, which had disbanded in 1994 after two years of scandals and various splits due to
corruptionPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
at its highest levels, exposed by the
Mani PuliteMani pulite was a nationwide Italian judicial investigation into political corruption held in the 1990s. Mani pulite led to the demise of the so-called First Republic, resulting in the disappearance of many parties. Some politicians and industry leaders committed suicide after their crimes were...
investigation, and the
Italian Liberal PartyThe Italian Liberal Party was a liberal political party in Italy.-Origins:The origins of liberalism in Italy came from the so-called "Historical Right", a parliamentary group formed by Camillo Benso di Cavour in the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia following the 1848 revolution...
, disbanded in the same year. Former MSI members were however still the bulk of the new party and former MSI leader
Gianfranco FiniGianfranco Fini is an Italian politician, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, leader of the center-right Future and Freedom party, and the former leader of the conservative National Alliance and the post-fascist Italian Social Movement...
was elected leader of the new party.
The logo followed a template very similar to the
Democratic Party of the LeftThe Democratic Party of the Left was a post-communist, democratic socialist political party in Italy.-History:...
, with the previous logo in a small circle, as a means of legally preventing others from using it. The name was suggested by an article on the Italian newspaper
Il Tempo written in 1992 by Domenico Fisichella, a prominent conservative academic. Starting in the 1990s, the MSI gradually transformed into a mainstream
right-wingIn politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
party, culminating in its 1995 dissolution into AN.
Government participation
The party was part of all three
House of FreedomsThe House of Freedoms , was a major Italian centre-right political and electoral alliance led by Silvio Berlusconi. It was initially composed of several political parties:*Forza Italia *National Alliance...
coalition governments led by
Silvio BerlusconiSilvio 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...
. Gianfranco Fini was notably nominated Deputy Prime Minister after the
2001 general electionA national general election was held in Italy on May 13, 2001 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. The 14th Parliament of the Italian republic was chosen....
and was Foreign Minister from November 2004 to May 2006.
When Gianfranco Fini visited
IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in late November 2003 in the function of Italian Deputy Prime Minister, he labeled the racial laws issued by the
fascistItalian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
regime in 1938 as "infamous", as also
Giorgio AlmiranteGiorgio Almirante was an Italian politician, the founder and leader of the Italian Social Movement until his retirement in 1987.-Early life:...
, historic leader of MSI, had done before. He also referred to the
Italian Social RepublicThe Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
as belonging to the most shameful pages of the past, and considered fascism part of an era of "absolute evil", something which was hardly acceptable to the few remaining hardliners of the party. As a result,
Alessandra MussoliniAlessandra Mussolini is an Italian politician, the granddaughter of Benito Mussolini, and previously an actress and model...
, the granddaughter of the former fascist dictator
Benito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, who had been at odds with the party on a number of issues for a long time, and some hardliners left the party and formed Social Action.
In occasion of the
2006 general electionIn the Italian general election, 2006 for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy held on April 9 and April 10, 2006 the incumbent prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the center-right House of Freedoms, was narrowly defeated by Romano Prodi, leader of the center-left The...
, AN ran within the House of Freedoms, with new allies. The centre-right lost by 24,000 votes in favor of the centre-left coalition
The UnionThe Union was an centre-left coalition of political parties in Italy. It was led by Romano Prodi, Prime Minister of Italy from April 2006 to April 2008, and former President of the European Commission.-Parties:...
. Individually AN received nearly 5 million votes, amounting to 12.3%. In July 2007 a group of splinters led by
Francesco StoraceFrancesco Storace is an Italian politician.He began his career at the right-wing newspaper Il Secolo d'Italia, until entering the ranks of the Italian Social Movement and later of National Alliance . He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time in 1994...
formed
The RightThe Right is a national-conservative political party in Italy.-Foundation:On 3 July 2007 Storace announced his resignation from National Alliance in a letter posted on his website, claiming that it had become too centrist and moderate and in protest against the lack of internal democracy in the...
, which was officially founded on 10 November. Seven MPs of AN, including Teodoro Buontempo and
Daniela SantanchèDaniela Garnero Santanché is an Italian entrepreneur and a politician. She was Undersecretary to the Minister of Platform Accomplishment from 2010 to 2011 during Berlusconi IV Cabinet.-Studies and personal life:...
, joined the new party.
The People of Freedom
In November 2007
Silvio BerlusconiSilvio 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...
announced that Forza Italia would have soon merged or transformed into the
The People of FreedomThe 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) party.
After the sudden fall of the
second Prodi governmentThe Prodi II Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008, a total of 722 days, or 1 year, 11 months and 21 days...
in January 2008, the breakup of
The UnionThe Union was an centre-left coalition of political parties in Italy. It was led by Romano Prodi, Prime Minister of Italy from April 2006 to April 2008, and former President of the European Commission.-Parties:...
and the subsequent political crisis which lead to a fresh general election, Berlusconi hinted that Forza Italia would have probably contested its last election and the new party would have been officially founded only after that election. In an atmosphere of reconciliation with Gianfranco Fini, Berlusconi also stated that the new party could see the participation of other parties. Finally, on 8 February, Berlusconi and Fini agreed to form a joint list under the banner of the "The People of Freedom", allied with Lega Nord. After the victory of the PdL in the
2008 general electionA snap general election was held in Italy on 13 April and 14 April 2008. The election came after President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved parliament on 6 February 2008 following the defeat of the government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi in a January 2008 Senate vote, and the unsuccessful tentative...
, AN was merged into the PdL in early 2009.
Ideology
National Alliance's political program emphasized:
- traditional values
Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council...
, being often close to the position of the Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, despite some social liberalSocial liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
and secularSecularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
attitudes;
- law and order
In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
, especially laws aimed at controlling immigrationImmigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and implementing punishmentPunishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person or animal in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group....
;
- support for Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and European integrationEuropean integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
;
- prohibitionism
Prohibitionism is a legal philosophy and political theory often used in lobbying which holds that citizens will abstain from actions if the actions are typed as unlawful and the prohibitions are enforced by law enforcement...
about any kind of drugs, including marijuanaCannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
.
Distinguishing itself from the MSI, the party distanced itself from
Benito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
and
FascismItalian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
and made efforts to improve relations with Jewish groups. With most hardliners leaving the party, it sought to present itself as a respectable
conservativeConservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
party and to join forces with
Forza ItaliaForza Italia was a liberal-conservative, Christian democratic, and liberal political party in Italy, with a large social democratic minority, that was led by Silvio Berlusconi, four times Prime Minister of Italy....
in the
European People's PartyThe European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
and, eventually, in a united party of the centre-right.
Although the party approved
market economyA market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
and held favourable views on
liberalizationIn general, liberalization refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions, usually in areas of social or economic policy. In some contexts this process or concept is often, but not always, referred to as deregulation...
s and the
privatizationPrivatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of state industries, however AN was to the left of Forza Italia on economic issues and sometimes supported
statistStatism is a term usually describing a political philosophy, whether of the right or the left, that emphasises the role of the state in politics or supports the use of the state to achieve economic, military or social goals...
policies. That is why the party was strong in
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Lazio, where most civil servants live. Moreover AN presents itself as a party promoting national cohesion,
national identityA nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
and
patriotismPatriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
.
Regarding institutional reforms, the party was a long-time supporter of presidentialism and a
plurality voting systemThe plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
, and came to support also
federalismFederalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
and to fully accept the alliance with Lega Nord, although the relations with that party were tense at times, especially about issues regarding national unity.
Gianfranco FiniGianfranco Fini is an Italian politician, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, leader of the center-right Future and Freedom party, and the former leader of the conservative National Alliance and the post-fascist Italian Social Movement...
, a moderniser who sees
Nicolas SarkozyNicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
and
David CameronDavid William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
as models, impressed an ambitious political line to the party, combining the pillars of conservative ideology like security, family values and patriotism with a progressive approach in other areas such as
stem cellThis article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
research and supporting voting rights for legal aliens. Anyway some of these positions were not shared by many members of the party, most of whom staunchly opposed stem cell research and
artificial inseminationArtificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
.
Factions
National Alliance was a heterogeneous political party and within it members were divided in different factions, some of them very organized:
- Protagonist Right
Protagonist Right was a liberal-conservative faction within National Alliance, a political party in Italy.It was founded in July 1999 by the followers of Giuseppe Tatarella, who had died in February of that year...
(Destra Protagonista), headed by Maurizio GasparriMaurizio Gasparri is an Italian politician.After a period as Member of the Italian Parliament for the Movimento Sociale Italiano, Gasparri served as an Alleanza Nazionale member. During the course of his career he has served as Minister of Communications...
and Ignazio La RussaIgnazio Benito Maria La Russa is an Italian politician . He became Minister of Defence in the fourth cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi on 8 May 2008...
, was the bigger faction and the closest to Forza ItaliaForza Italia was a liberal-conservative, Christian democratic, and liberal political party in Italy, with a large social democratic minority, that was led by Silvio Berlusconi, four times Prime Minister of Italy....
, due to its liberal-conservativeLiberal conservatism also known as progressive conservatism is a variant of political conservatism which incorporates liberal elements. As "conservatism" and "liberalism" have had different meanings over time and across countries, the term "liberal conservatism" has been used in quite different...
stances.
- New Alliance
New Alliance was a liberal-conservative faction within National Alliance, a political party in Italy.It was founded in December 2001 by Domenico Matteoli, Cristiana Muscardini, Adolfo Urso and Domenico Nania, who were at the time the stauchest supporters of the leadership of Gianfranco Fini...
(Nuova Alleanza), formerly called Right and Freedom (Destra e Libertà), headed by Altero MatteoliAltero Matteoli is an Italian politician, former member of Alleanza Nazionale right-wing party and then member of People of Freedom.Matteoli was born in Cecina. From 2001 to 2006 he was the Italian Environment Minister.-References:*...
and Adolfo Urso, was formed by the staunchest supporters of Gianfranco FiniGianfranco Fini is an Italian politician, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, leader of the center-right Future and Freedom party, and the former leader of the conservative National Alliance and the post-fascist Italian Social Movement...
within the party and supported a liberalLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
political agenda.
- Social Right
Social Right was the main national and social-conservative faction within National Alliance, a political party in Italy.The faction had two main leaders: Francesco Storace and Gianni Alemanno...
(Destra Sociale), led by Gianni Alemanno, advocated a more "social" approach to economic policy and was considered at the right of the party. It had close ties with the General Labour Union.
- D-Destra, led by Francesco Storace
Francesco Storace is an Italian politician.He began his career at the right-wing newspaper Il Secolo d'Italia, until entering the ranks of the Italian Social Movement and later of National Alliance . He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time in 1994...
, was the most conservative component of the party, proud of the MSI's tradition and in open opposition to Fini. Formed as a split from the Social Right, in July 2007 the group finally left AN and launched The RightThe Right is a national-conservative political party in Italy.-Foundation:On 3 July 2007 Storace announced his resignation from National Alliance in a letter posted on his website, claiming that it had become too centrist and moderate and in protest against the lack of internal democracy in the...
.
- Christian Reformists
The Christian Reformists are a Christian-democratic faction within The People of Freedom, a political party in Italy....
(Cristiano Riformisti) was a minor Christian democraticChristian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
faction.
In the party there was also a group named
Ethic-Religious Council, whose board members included Gaetano Rebecchini (founder, ex-DC), Riccardo Pedrizzi (president), Franco Tofoni (vice president), Luigi Gagliardi (secretary-general), Alfredo Mantovano, Antonio Mazzocchi and Riccardo Migliori. This was not a faction but an official organism within the party and expressed the official position of the party on ethical and religious matters. Sometimes the group criticized
Gianfranco FiniGianfranco Fini is an Italian politician, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, leader of the center-right Future and Freedom party, and the former leader of the conservative National Alliance and the post-fascist Italian Social Movement...
for his liberal views on abortion, artificial insemination and stem-cell research, which led some notable ex-DC members as
Publio FioriPublio Fiori is an Italian politician.-Career:Fiori was born in Rome and graduated in jurisprudence. He became a member of Democrazia Cristiana , to which he belonged for much of his political career....
to leave the party. Some members of the Council, such as Pedrizzi and Mantovano were described as members of an unofficial
Catholic Right faction.
Popular support
The party had roughly 10-15% support across Italy, having its stongholds in
CentralCentral Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
and Southern Italy (Lazio 18.6%,
UmbriaUmbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
15.2%,
MarcheThe population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
14.3%,
AbruzzoAbruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
14.3%, Puglia 13.2%,
SardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
12.9%,
TuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
12.6% and
CampaniaCampania 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...
12.6% in the last
general electionIn the Italian general election, 2006 for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy held on April 9 and April 10, 2006 the incumbent prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the center-right House of Freedoms, was narrowly defeated by Romano Prodi, leader of the center-left The...
), scoring badly in
LombardyLombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
(10.2%) and
SicilySicily 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,...
(10.9%), while competing in the North-East (
Friuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
15.5% and
VenetoVeneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
11.3%).
The party had a good showing in the first general election to which it took part (13.5% in
1994An early national general election was held in Italy on March 27, 1994 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right alliance won handily the election for the Chamber and only narrowly lost that for the Senate....
) and reached 15.7% in
1996An early national general election was held in Italy on 21 April, 1996 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic...
, when Fini tried for the first time to replace
Silvio BerlusconiSilvio 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...
as leader of the centre-right. From that moment the party suffered an electoral decline, but remained the third force of Italian politics.
In the
2006 general electionIn the Italian general election, 2006 for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy held on April 9 and April 10, 2006 the incumbent prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the center-right House of Freedoms, was narrowly defeated by Romano Prodi, leader of the center-left The...
, the final election to which the party participated with its own list, AN won 12.3% of the vote, securing 71 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 41 in the Senate. In the
2008 general electionA snap general election was held in Italy on 13 April and 14 April 2008. The election came after President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved parliament on 6 February 2008 following the defeat of the government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi in a January 2008 Senate vote, and the unsuccessful tentative...
the party got 90 deputies and 48 senators elected.
The electoral results of National Alliance in the 10 most populated Regions of Italy are shown in the table below.
| |
1994 general |
1995 regional |
1996 general |
1999 European |
2000 regional |
2001 general |
2004 European |
2005 regional |
2006 general |
| Piedmont |
8.3 |
11.2 |
12.1 |
7.5 |
11.9 |
9.2 |
8.8 |
9.5 |
11.8 |
| Lombardy |
5.8 |
10.0 |
9.0 |
6.0 |
9.7 |
8.6 |
7.2 |
8.7 |
10.2 |
| Veneto |
7.7 |
10.7 |
11.7 |
8.3 |
9.8 |
8.5 |
9.0 |
8.1 |
11.3 |
| Emilia-Romagna |
9.0 |
10.3 |
11.5 |
8.6 |
11.4 |
9.7 |
8.4 |
8.9 |
10.2 |
| Tuscany |
10.9 |
13.1 |
15.8 |
10.9 |
14.9 |
13.0 |
10.9 |
10.9 |
12.6 |
| Lazio |
25.3 |
24.5 |
28.9 |
20.3 |
23.1 |
20.4 |
18.4 |
23.9 |
18.6 |
| Campania |
20.3 |
18.3 |
18.7 |
10.7 |
11.2 |
13.1 |
13.2 |
10.6 |
12.6 |
| Apulia |
27.5 |
20.4 |
17.9 |
12.7 |
15.5 |
15.3 |
16.0 |
12.1 |
13.2 |
| Calabria |
17.2 |
16.3 |
23.4 |
10.2 |
10.4 |
15.2 |
15.5 |
9.9 |
11.0 |
| Sicily |
14.0 |
14.1 (1996) |
16.4 |
12.1 |
11.3 (2001) |
10.7 |
14.5 |
10.6 (2006) |
10.9 |
| ITALY |
13.5 |
- |
15.7 |
10.3 |
- |
12.0 |
11.3 |
- |
12.3 |
Leadership
- President: Gianfranco Fini
Gianfranco Fini is an Italian politician, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, leader of the center-right Future and Freedom party, and the former leader of the conservative National Alliance and the post-fascist Italian Social Movement...
(1995–2008), Ignazio La RussaIgnazio Benito Maria La Russa is an Italian politician . He became Minister of Defence in the fourth cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi on 8 May 2008...
(regent, 2008–2009)
- Coordinator: Maurizio Gasparri
Maurizio Gasparri is an Italian politician.After a period as Member of the Italian Parliament for the Movimento Sociale Italiano, Gasparri served as an Alleanza Nazionale member. During the course of his career he has served as Minister of Communications...
(1995–1998), Ignazio La RussaIgnazio Benito Maria La Russa is an Italian politician . He became Minister of Defence in the fourth cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi on 8 May 2008...
(2003–2005)
- Spokesman: Francesco Storace
Francesco Storace is an Italian politician.He began his career at the right-wing newspaper Il Secolo d'Italia, until entering the ranks of the Italian Social Movement and later of National Alliance . He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time in 1994...
(1995–1997), Adolfo Urso (1997–2001), Antonio Landolfi (2001–2005), Andrea RonchiAndrea Ronchi is an Italian politician, former Italian Minister of Community Policy.-Biography:Andrea Ronchi was born in Perugia, Umbria. He graduated in political science and worked as a journalist. He was a founding member of the National Alliance party.In 2001, he joined the House of...
(2005–2009)
- Head of Political Secretariat: Donato Lamorte (1995–2002), Andrea Ronchi
Andrea Ronchi is an Italian politician, former Italian Minister of Community Policy.-Biography:Andrea Ronchi was born in Perugia, Umbria. He graduated in political science and worked as a journalist. He was a founding member of the National Alliance party.In 2001, he joined the House of...
(2002–2004), Carmelo Briguglio (2002–2004), Donato Lamorte (2004–2009)
- President of National Assembly: Domenico Fisichella (1995–2005), Marcello Perina (2005–2006), Francesco Servello (2006–2009)
- Organizational Coordinator: Giuseppe Tatarella (1995–1998), Altero Matteoli
Altero Matteoli is an Italian politician, former member of Alleanza Nazionale right-wing party and then member of People of Freedom.Matteoli was born in Cecina. From 2001 to 2006 he was the Italian Environment Minister.-References:*...
(1998–2002), Donato Lamorte (2002–2004), Italo BocchinoItalo Bocchino is an Italian politician and journalist.-Biography:Bocchino was born at Naples, and in his youth he was a members of the Italian Social Movement and worked as a spokesman for the member of parliament Giuseppe Tatarella, and subsequently as a journalist for Il Secolo d'Italia.In...
(2004–2005), Marco Martinelli (2005–2009)
- Administrative Secretary: Francesco Pontone (1995–2009)
- Party Leader at the Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
: Raffaele Valensise (1994–1995), Giuseppe Tatarella (1995–1998), Gustavo Selva (1998–2001), Ignazio La RussaIgnazio Benito Maria La Russa is an Italian politician . He became Minister of Defence in the fourth cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi on 8 May 2008...
(2001–2003), Gian Franco Anedda (2003–2004), Iganzio La Russa (2004–2008), Italo BocchinoItalo Bocchino is an Italian politician and journalist.-Biography:Bocchino was born at Naples, and in his youth he was a members of the Italian Social Movement and worked as a spokesman for the member of parliament Giuseppe Tatarella, and subsequently as a journalist for Il Secolo d'Italia.In...
(deputy-leader of PdL's group, 2008–2009)
- Party Leader at the Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
: Giulio Maceratini (1994–2001), Domenico Nania (2001–2006), Altero MatteoliAltero Matteoli is an Italian politician, former member of Alleanza Nazionale right-wing party and then member of People of Freedom.Matteoli was born in Cecina. From 2001 to 2006 he was the Italian Environment Minister.-References:*...
(2006–2008), Maurizio GasparriMaurizio Gasparri is an Italian politician.After a period as Member of the Italian Parliament for the Movimento Sociale Italiano, Gasparri served as an Alleanza Nazionale member. During the course of his career he has served as Minister of Communications...
(leader of PdL's group, 2008–2009)
- Party Leader at the European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
: Cristiana MuscardiniCristiana Muscardini is an Italian politician andMember of the European Parliamentfor North-Westwith People of Freedom ,...
(1994–2004), Roberta AngelilliRoberta Angelilli is an Italian politician andMember of the European Parliamentfor Centralwith the Alleanza Nazionale, part of the Union for a Europe of Nations and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.She is a substitute for the Committee on...
(2004–2009)
External links
Factions
Stephen Roth Institute