We the South

We the South (Italian: Noi Sud, NS), whose complete name is Freedom and Autonomy - We the South (Italian: Libertà e Autonomia - Noi Sud), is a regionalist 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 (electing two regional councilors) 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 the 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] In October 2012 the faction of the party led by Iannaccone changed its name into Autonomy South (Autonomia Sud, AS),^[15] while the faction led by Milo maintained the component called "We the South" within the People and Territory group.

In the 2013 general election the party didn't present its list, however Milo was elected to the Senate with The People of Freedom 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 May 2015 Milo left Great Autonomies and Freedom to join the new group of the Conservatives and Reformists.

In the 2015 regional elections the party gained 2.1% of the vote in Campania, without any elected in the Regional Council.

References

External links

• Official website

Political parties in Italy
Major	Democratic Party Five Star Movement
Medium	Forza Italia Lega Nord–Us with Salvini Popular Area (New Centre-Right–Centrists for Italy) Italian Left (Left Ecology Freedom–Future to the Left)
Minor	Brothers of Italy Green Italy–Federation of the Greens Italy of Values Liberal Popular Alliance–Civic Choice Conservatives and Reformists Democrazia Solidale–Democratic Centre Possible–Free Alternative Identity and Action Act! Italian Socialist Party Union of the Centre Movement for the Autonomies Great South Communist Refoundation Party Alliance for Italy New Italian Socialist Party Populars for Italy X Movement The Right Italian Communist Party
Regional	Aosta Valley Valdostan Union Progressive Valdostan Union Autonomy Liberty Participation Ecology Edelweiss For Our Valley Piedmont Lega Nord Piemont Moderates 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 Trentino Civic List Veneto Liga Veneta Tosi List for Veneto We Independent Veneto Venetian Independence Friuli-Venezia Giulia Responsible Autonomy 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 Marche 2020 Umbria Lega Nord Umbria Campania We the South Orange Movement Basilicata Reality Italy Calabria The DemoKRats Autonomy and Rights Sicily Pact of Democrats for Reforms Party of Sicilians The Megaphone Democratic Sicily Centrists for Sicily The Network 2018 Sardinia Sardinian Reformers Sardinian Action Party United Project Republic of Sardinia Party of Sardinians Red Moors Sardinian Democratic Union Christian Popular Union
Abroad	South America Associative Movement Italians Abroad South American Union Italian Emigrants
Parliament	Chamber and Senate Mixed Group Popular Area Chamber Civics and Innovators Senate For the Autonomies Great Autonomies and Freedom
Politics of Italy List of political parties in Italy Historical parties