| Sardinian Reformers | |
|---|---|
| Secretarty | Massimo Fantola |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | via Firenze, 20 09126 Cagliari |
| Newspaper | none |
| Membership | unknown |
| Ideology | Christian democracy, Liberalism |
| International affiliation | none |
| European affiliation | none |
| European Parliament Group | no MEPs |
| Chamber of Deputies |
0 / 630
|
| Senate |
0 / 315
|
| European Parliament |
0 / 73
|
| Regional Council of Sardinia |
6 / 80
|
| Website | |
| http://www.riformatori.it | |
| Politics of Sardinia Political parties Elections |
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The Sardinian Reformers (Riformatori Sardi, RS) is a liberal and Christian-democratic political party in Sardinia based in Sardinia and led by Massimo Fantola.
The party is a keen supporter of the free market, competition, globalization and two-party system, but, although they are part of the centre-right coalition around The People of Freedom, it differs from it on some key issues, such as the "relations between power and institutions", the judicial system and information.[1]
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The party emerged in 1993 as the Sardinian section of the Patto Segni. This list was launched by Mario Segni, a former Christian Democrat from Sardinia, and was composed basically of disgruntled Christian Democrats and Liberals. When the Patto Segni entered in the center-left coalition for the 1996 general election (through Italian Renewal, the Sardinian Reformers gained some independence from the mother-party, and when at the 1999 European Parliament election Mario Segni formed a joint-list with National Alliance, they seemed to be closer to Forza Italia.
Led by Michele Cossa and Massimo Fantola, the RS were part of the centre-right in Sardinia since 1999 and, at the 2001 general election, Cossa was elected deputy in a single-seat constituency in Cagliari for the House of Freedoms coalition.
During the years in government of Silvio Berlusconi (2001–2006), the RS started to be critical of the centre-right. In 2003 they contributed to the foundation of the new national party of Mario Segni named Pact of Liberal Democrats. This party was on the ballot at the 2004 European Parliament election and won only a misere 0.5% (7.4% in Sardinia). In the same year RS won 5.9% of the vote at the regional election, having 4 Reformers elected to the Regional Council.
For the 2006 general election, the Sardinian Reformers signed a pact with the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC), at the time member of the House of Freedoms. Massimo Fantola was elected Senator in UDC list, while Michele Cossa, candidate for the Chamber of Deputies, failed to be elected. For the 2008 general election they tried to form an alliance with The People of Freedom, but talks failed.
At the 2009 regional election the party was part of the centre-right coalition in support of Ugo Cappellacci, who was elected President. The RS won 6.8% of the vote (having their strongholds in the Provinces of Oristano and Olbia-Tempio, where they gained 10.0 and 8.7%, respectively[2]) and five regional deputies (including Michele Cossa) plus one (Franco Meloni, a former leading member of the Sardinian Action Party) elected in Cappellacci's regional list.[3]
At the 2010 provincial elections the party was strongest in Oristano (9.0%), Olbia-Tempio (8.9%) and Cagliari (7.3%).[4] In 2011 Fantola was the centre-right candidate for Mayor of Cagliari, but he was severely defeated by his left-wing opponent.[5]
The electoral results of the RS in Sardinia since 1994 are shown in the table below.
| 1994 general | 1994 European | 1994 regional | 1996 general | 1999 European | 1999 regional | 2001 general | 2004 European | 2004 regional | 2006 general | 2008 general | 2009 regional |
| 17.4[6] | 15.0[6] | 9.2[6] | - | -[7] | 4.4 | - | 7.4[8] | -[9] | 6.0 | - | 6.8 |