Autonomy South

Autonomy South (Italian: Autonomia Sud, AS), originally We South (Noi Sud, NS), is a regionalist-centrist political party in Italy based in the Campania but seeking to represent the whole South.

History

The party emerged in January 2010 as a split from the Movement for the Autonomies (MpA). MpA, a Sicilian-based regionalist party active all around Southern Italy, had been in coalition, both at national and regional level, with The People of Freedom (PdL), the centre-right party led by Silvio Berlusconi since 2006, but had become critical of him. In December 2009 Raffaele Lombardo, leader of MpA and President of Sicily, had formed his third cabinet including ministers from his MpA party, the PdL–Sicily and the newly formed regional section of Alliance for Italy, plus some independents, including one who was close to the opposition Democratic Party (PD). No members of the "official" PdL were included.^[1]

The break-up of the alliance with the official PdL in Sicily and all around the South led to a painful split within the MpA. In January 2010 Vincenzo Scotti and four deputies out of eight (Arturo Iannaccone, Elio Belcastro, Antonio Milo and Luciano Sardelli), who wanted to continue the alliance with the PdL, were expelled from the party^[2] and formed their own movement.^[3][4]

In the 2010 regional elections the party gained 3.6% of the vote in Campania and 3.1% in Calabria.

In October 2010 NS formed a joint group, led by Luciano Sardelli (NS), in the Chamber of Deputies with The Populars of Italy Tomorrow (PID).^[5] In the event Americo Porfidia, a former member of Italy of Values (IdV), joined NS.^[6] Another former IdV deputy, Antonio Razzi, joined NS in December.^[7] In January 2011 NS took part to Responsible Initiative/People and Territory (IR/PT), a centre-right group in the Chamber, but one deputy, Antonio Gaglione, refused to join it.^[8][9]

The party was soon divided in two wings, one led by Iannaccone and another one led by Scotti. In May 2011 Scotti tried to sack Iannaccone as secretary of the party and was sacked as president by Iannaccone instead.^[10] In July Iannaccone led NS to jointly launch with Force of the South and I South the Federation of the South, later Great South.^[11][12] In November 2011 Iannaccone, Belcastro and Porfidia left PT to join forces with Force of the South in the Mixed Group, while still being loyal to Berlusconi.^[13] The other faction, including Scotti, Milo and Sardelli, was more critical toward Berlusconi.^[14] Since the new sub-group within the Mixed Group was formed, the party was left with three deputies: Iannaccone, Belcastro and Porfidia. In October 2012 the party changed its name into Autonomy South (AS).^[15]

After the 2013 general election the party was no longer represented in Parliament. However, in the election, Milo, who had revived We the South, was elected to the Senate on the PdL ticket and later joined the Great Autonomies and Freedom group, while retaining his loyalty to the PdL, which was transformed into Forza Italia in late 2013.^[16]

In 2013 Iannaccone's Autonomy South signed a federative pact with Reality Italy, a southern centrist party which usually sides with the centre-left Democratic Party.^[17]

Leadership

• Secretary: Arturo Iannaccone (2010–present)
  • Deputy Secretary: Elio Belcastro (2010–present)
  • Treasurer: Antonio Milo (2010–2011)
• President: Vincenzo Scotti (2010–2011), Americo Porfidia (2011–present)

• Leader in the Chamber of Deputies: Luciano Sardelli (2010–2011), Arturo Iannaccone (2011–2013)

References

External links

• Official website

Political parties in Italy Major Democratic Party Five Star Movement Medium Forza Italia Lega Nord New Centre-Right Left Ecology Freedom Minor Brothers of Italy Green Italy–Federation of the Greens Civic Choice Italy of Values Democrazia Solidale Free Alternative Union of the Centre Italian Socialist Party Populars for Italy X Movement Democratic Centre Movement for the Autonomies Great South Christian Democracy Italy Work in Progress Popular Construction New Italian Socialist Party Alliance for Italy Italian Liberal Party Us with Salvini Communist Refoundation Party The Right Party of Italian Communists Union of Democrats for Europe Regional Aosta Valley Valdostan Union Progressive Valdostan Union Autonomy Liberty Participation Ecology Edelweiss Piedmont Lega Nord Piemont Lombardy Lega Lombarda South Tyrol South Tyrolean People's Party Die Freiheitlichen Greens South Tyrolean Freedom Trentino Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party Union for Trentino Trentino Project Lega Nord Trentino Veneto Liga Veneta Veneto First Tosi List for Veneto Popular Future Friuli-Venezia Giulia Lega Nord FVG Civic Freedom Emilia-Romagna Lega Nord Emilia Lega Nord Romagna Liguria Lega Nord Liguria Tuscany Lega Nord Toscana Marche Lega Nord Marche Campania Forza Campania Autonomy South Apulia Apulia First of All Moderates and Populars Basilicata Reality Italy Calabria The DemoKRats Autonomy and Rights Sicily Party of Sicilians The Megaphone Democratic Sicily Article Four Reformist Democrats for Sicily Sardinia Sardinian Reformers Sardinian Action Party United Abroad South America Associative Movement Italians Abroad South American Union Italian Emigrants Politics of Italy List of political parties in Italy Historical parties