The Autonomous Socialist Party ( it, Partito Socialista Autonomo, PSA) was a

far-left Far-left politics, also known as the radical left or the extreme left, are politics further to the left on the left–right political spectrum than the standard political left. The term does not have a single definition. Some scholars consider ...

political party in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, based in the canton of

Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

History

The PSA was established in 1966; its founders were former members from the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

who had been expelled for their far-left views.Vincent E. McHale (1983) ''Political parties of Europe: Poland-Yugoslavia'', Greenwood Press, pp912–913 It failed to win a seat in the National Council in the 1971 federal elections, but in the

1975 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1975. Africa * 1975 Cameroonian presidential election * 1975 Cape Verdean parliamentary election * 1975 Ivorian general election * 1975 Liberian general election * 1975 São Tomé and Príncipe legislat ...

it ran in

in alliance with the

Progressive Organizations of Switzerland The Progressive Organisations of Switzerland (POCH; german: Progressive Organisationen der Schweiz; french: Organisations progressistes de Suisse) were a communist party founded in 1969. Most of its members were from a university background. His ...

(POCH), with Werner Carobbio winning one seat. It continued its alliance with POCH for the

1979 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1979. Africa * Algeria: presidential election * Benin: parliamentary election * Botswana: general election * Gabon: presidential election * Ghana: presidential election * Kenya: general election * Mal ...

, retaining its single seat. It retained the seat again in the

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

and

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

. It was renamed Unitarian Socialist Party in 1988, Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1899 The PSA was well represented in the

Grand Council of Ticino The Grand Council of Ticino (Italian: ''Gran Consiglio di Ticino'') is the legislature for the Swiss canton of Ticino. The 90-member council is elected every four years by proportional representation in a single constituency comprising the citiz ...

, maintaining between six and nine seats in the legislature (of ninety) constantly between 1971 and 1991. After retaining its seat again in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

, it merged back into the Social Democratic Party in 1992.

Election history

National Council

Grand Council of Ticino

Notable members

* Werner Carobbio * Pietro Martinelli

References

* {{Authority control Defunct communist parties in Switzerland Political parties established in 1966 1966 establishments in Switzerland Political parties disestablished in 1992 1992 disestablishments in Switzerland