Future and Freedom ( it, Futuro e Libertà), whose full name was Future and Freedom for Italy (''Futuro e Libertà per l'Italia'', abbreviated to FLI), was a
political party in Italy
This article contains a list of political parties in Italy since Italian unification in 1861.
Throughout history, numerous political parties have been operating in Italy, and since World War II no party has ever gained enough support to govern ...
, comprising both
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
and
national conservative
National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity. National conservatives usually combine nationalism with conservative stances promoting traditional cultural values, fa ...
elements.
FLI was formed by followers of
Gianfranco Fini
Gianfranco Fini (born 3 January 1952) is an Italian politician who served as the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2013. He is the former leader of the far-right Italian Social Movement, the conservative National Allianc ...
in July 2010 as a split from
The People of Freedom
The People of Freedom ( it, Il Popolo della Libertà, PdL) was a centre-right political party in Italy. The PdL, launched by Silvio Berlusconi on 18 November 2007, was initially a federation of political parties, notably including Forza Italia a ...
(PdL), the major Italian centre-right party of the time, led by
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; born 29 September 1936) is an Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy in four governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies ...
.
Fini, former leader of the
Italian Social Movement
The Italian Social Movement ( it, Movimento Sociale Italiano, MSI) was a neo-fascist political party in Italy. A far-right party, it presented itself until the 1990s as the defender of Italian fascism's legacy, and later moved towards national ...
(MSI) and
National Alliance (AN) and co-founder of the PdL in 2009, had taken a long journey from post-
fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
to become a
liberal conservative
Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by li ...
.
Soon after the PdL's foundation, he started to become a critic of
Berlusconi's government and leadership style.
The core of FLI was constituted by
Generation Italy Generation Italy (''Generazione Italia'', GI) or ''Finiani'' was an association connected to Future and Freedom (FLI), a political party in Italy, and earlier to The People of Freedom (PdL).
Although most of its members came from the conservative ...
(GI), led by
Italo Bocchino
Italo Bocchino (born 6 July 1967) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Bocchino was born in Naples, and in his youth, he was a member of the Italian Social Movement (a post-fascist formation) and worked as a spokesman for the mem ...
, who was also appointed vice president of the party by Fini. FLI members were mostly former MSI/AN stalwarts, with some notable exceptions.
History
Background
Somewhat surprisingly,
Gianfranco Fini
Gianfranco Fini (born 3 January 1952) is an Italian politician who served as the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2013. He is the former leader of the far-right Italian Social Movement, the conservative National Allianc ...
, former leader of the national-conservative
National Alliance (AN) and President of the
Chamber of Deputies
The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures.
Description
Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...
, became the most influential representative of the
socially liberal
Cultural liberalism is a social philosophy which expresses the social dimension of liberalism and advocates the freedom of individuals to choose whether to conform to cultural norms. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, it is often expressed a ...
wing of the party due to his progressive views on
stem cell
In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can differentiate into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type o ...
research,
end of life issues,
advance health care directive
Advance commonly refers to:
*Advance, an offensive push in sports, games, thoughts, military combat, or sexual or romantic pursuits
*Advance payment for goods or services
*Advance against royalties, a payment to be offset against future royalty pay ...
s and immigration. Fini was also an outspoken supporter of the principle of
separation of church and state
The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...
and became also a vocal critic of
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; born 29 September 1936) is an Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy in four governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies ...
and of his leadership style of the country and the party.
Fini's positions distanced him from most former leading members of AN (including
Ignazio La Russa
Ignazio Benito Maria La Russa (born 18 July 1947) is an Italian politician who is serving as President of the Senate of the Republic since 13 October 2022. He is the first politician with a neo-fascist background to hold the position of Presid ...
,
Maurizio Gasparri
Maurizio Gasparri (Rome, 18 July 1956) is an Italian politician.
Gasparri was member of the Italian Social Movement and National Alliance. During the course of his career he has served as Minister of Communications (2001 to 2005 in the Ber ...
,
Gianni Alemanno
Giovanni "Gianni" Alemanno (born 3 March 1958) is an Italian politician who from April 2008 until June 2013 was Mayor of Rome for the centre-right People of Freedom.
He was the Secretary of the National Movement for Sovereignty from 2017 to 201 ...
,
Altero Matteoli
Altero Matteoli (8 September 1940 – 18 December 2017) was an Italian politician.
Political career
Born in Cecina, he has been a member of the Italian Social Movement and National Alliance. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 19 ...
and
Giorgia Meloni
Giorgia Meloni (; born 15 January 1977) is an Italian politician who has been serving as the Prime Minister of Italy since 22 October 2022, the first woman to hold this position. A member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2006, she has led the ...
) who became close allies of Berlusconi instead.
In the meantime, a group of Fini loyalists, known as ''Finiani'', started to join forces in support of their leader. In April 2010
Italo Bocchino
Italo Bocchino (born 6 July 1967) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Bocchino was born in Naples, and in his youth, he was a member of the Italian Social Movement (a post-fascist formation) and worked as a spokesman for the mem ...
launched an association within the PdL named
Generation Italy Generation Italy (''Generazione Italia'', GI) or ''Finiani'' was an association connected to Future and Freedom (FLI), a political party in Italy, and earlier to The People of Freedom (PdL).
Although most of its members came from the conservative ...
in order to better represent Fini's views within the party and push for a different party organisation. Fini posed a sort of ultimatum to Berlusconi and hinted the formation of separate groups from the PdL in Parliament. At one point some ''Finiani'' even proposed the formation of a new party outside the PdL. After some tense days emerged as a possibility that Fini and his group would have remained in the party as a minority faction. On 22 April 2010 the National Committee of the PdL convened in Rome for the first time in a year. The conflict between Fini and Berlusconi was covered live by television. A resolution which denounced Fini's conduct and reaffirmed the party's political line was approved by a landslide margin by the assembly.
Split from the PdL
Clashes between Fini and Berlusconi became even more frequent and reached their heights in late July 2010, when Fini questioned the morality of some PdL party bigwigs under investigation. On 29 July 2010 the executive of the PdL released a document (voted by 33 members out of 37) in which Fini was described as "incompatible" with the political line of the PdL and unable to perform his job of President of the Chamber of Deputies in a neutral way. Berlusconi asked Fini to step down from his post and the executive proposed the suspension from party membership of three ''Finiani'' hard-liners (
Italo Bocchino
Italo Bocchino (born 6 July 1967) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Bocchino was born in Naples, and in his youth, he was a member of the Italian Social Movement (a post-fascist formation) and worked as a spokesman for the mem ...
,
Fabio Granata Fabio is a given name descended from Latin ''Fabius'' and very popular in Italy and Latin America (due to Italian migration). Its English equivalent is Fabian (name), Fabian.
The name is written without an accent in Italian and Spanish, but is usu ...
and
Carmelo Briguglio
Carmelo is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Carmelo Anthony (born 1984), American basketball player
* Carmelo Antrone Lee (born 1977), Puerto Rican basketball player
* Carmelo Bene (1937-2002), Italian director, actor, philo ...
) who had harshly criticised Berlusconi and accused some party members of criminal offences.
On 30 July, Fini held a press conference during which he announced the formation of separate groups from the PdL both in the Chamber and the Senate under the name Future and Freedom for Italy (FLI). He also confirmed the support of his group, which counted a handful of cabinet members, to Berlusconi's government. 33 deputies and 10 senators joined the new parliamentary groups from the beginning. Only a minority of the PdL MPs originating from National Alliance followed their former leader Fini into the new party, but enough to hold the balance in the Chamber of Deputies Moreover, some members of the former
Forza Italia
Forza ItaliaThe name is not usually translated into English: ''forza'' is the second-person singular imperative of ''forzare'', in this case translating to "to compel" or "to press", and so means something like "Forward, Italy", "Come on, Ital ...
, Berlusconi's party before its merger into the PdL, joined too (
Benedetto Della Vedova
Benedetto Della Vedova (Sondrio, 3 April 1962) is an Italian people, Italian politician.
A keen pro-Europeanism, pro-Europeanist, Della Vedova is currently president of Forza Europa (2017), Forza Europa (FE) and secretary of More Europe (+EU), t ...
and
Barbara Contini).
On 5 July, the Chamber voted on the suspension of
Giacomo Caliendo, a PdL senator under investigation, from his post of Undersecretary of Justice. The FLI group chose to abstain from the vote along with the
Union of the Centre,
Alliance for Italy
Alliance for Italy ( it, Alleanza per l'Italia; ApI) was a centrist political party in Italy.
The party, which was described in its manifesto as "democratic, liberal, popular" as opposed both to " right-wing populism" and the " social-democratic ...
and the
Movement for the Autonomies
The Movement for Autonomy ( it, Movimento per l'Autonomia, MpA) is a regionalism (politics), regionalist, Christian democracy, Christian-democratic list of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy, based in Sicily. The MpA, whose found ...
, forming the so-called "area of responsibility". The motion was voted down, but it was a blow for the
Berlusconi IV Cabinet
The fourth Berlusconi government was the 60th government of Italy, in office from 8 May 2008 to 16 November 2011.
It was the fourth government led by Silvio Berlusconi, who then became the longest-serving Prime Minister of Italy of the Italian Re ...
, which retained its majority only through FLI's support.
During the vote on Caliendo,
Chiara Moroni
Chiara Moroni (born 23 October 1974 in Iseo) is an Italian politician, daughter of Sergio Moroni, a Socialist politician who killed himself during Tangentopoli.
Chiara Moroni was elected deputy in the 2001 general election for the constituency o ...
, a
social democrat
Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...
formerly of the
New Italian Socialist Party
The New Italian Socialist Party or New PSI ( it, Nuovo Partito Socialista Italiano or ''Nuovo PSI'', NPSI), more recently styled as Liberal Socialists – NPSI, is a political party in Italy which professes a social-democratic ideology and claims t ...
and Forza Italia, announced that she was leaving the PdL group in order to join Fini's outfit. In a touching speech dedicated to her father
Sergio Moroni
Sergio may refer to:
* Sergio (given name), for people with the given name Sergio
* Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found
* ''Sergio'' (album), a 1994 album by Sergio Blass
* ''Sergio'' (2009 film), a documentary film
* ''Se ...
, a Socialist who committed suicide during ''
Tangentopoli
''Mani pulite'' (; Italian for "clean hands") was a nationwide judicial investigation into political corruption in Italy held in the early 1990s, resulting in the demise of the so-called " First Republic" and the disappearance of many Italian ...
'', she explained that she was leaving the PdL in the name of ''garantismo'' (an Italian word for "protection of civil liberties" used in relation to the right to a fair trial). For this she was vehemently criticised by senior former Socialists in the PdL such as
Fabrizio Cicchitto
Fabrizio Cicchitto (born 26 October 1940) is an Italian politician, whose career has followed a trajectory from radical socialism to centre-right reformism.
Biography
Fabrizio Cicchitto entered politics in the early 1960s, supporting the Ricc ...
and
Margherita Boniver
Margherita Boniver (; born 11 March 1938) is an Italian politician.
Biography
Until 1962 she lived abroad, in places such as Washington, D.C., Bucharest and London. In Italy she founded the Italian section of Amnesty International which she led ...
.
On 5 September, after a month of silence, Fini gave a speech to his supporters during the ''Festa Tricolore'' in
Mirabello, a traditional rally of the old MSI and, later, of the AN. During that speech Fini declared that the PdL was dead and that his group would not have returned into the PdL's fold, but he did not speak about the transformation of FLI into an official party. Moreover, despite being very critical of Berlusconi, he offered a "legislative pact" in order for the government to continue until 2013. As a response, Berlusconi and his junior partner in government
Umberto Bossi
Umberto Bossi (born 19 September 1941) is an Italian politician and former leader of Lega Nord (Northern League), a party seeking autonomy or independence for Northern Italy or Padania. He is married to the Sicilian Manuela Marrone, and has fou ...
reiterated their call to Fini to resign from his post of President of the Chamber. Subsequently, on 8 September, Fini left the PdL group in the Chamber and joined to all intents and purposes FLI, becoming its 36th member.
Road to the new party
On 22 September FLI abstained during a secret confidence vote on
Nicola Cosentino, an Undersecretary of Economy under investigation for ''
''-related crimes. The motion was rejected by a larger majority than expected, meaning than some ''Finiani'' and possibly some deputies from the opposition.
On 24 September
Souad Sbai
Souad Sbai (; born 1961) is a Moroccan-born Italian politician and writer.
She was born in Settat, Morocco, on 5 February 1961. She has lived in Italy since about 1979.
She was a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2013, and ...
left FLI and returned into the fold of the PdL parliamentary group. However, on the same day,
Giampiero Catone
Giampiero Catone (born 1 June 1956 in Naples, Campania) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Giampiero Catone was born on 1 June 1956 in Naples. He graduated in Political Sciences at the D'Annunzio University of Chieti–Pescara ...
, a former
Christian Democrat
Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism.
It was conceived as a combination of modern democratic ...
who had been elected with the PdL on behalf of
Gianfranco Rotondi
Gianfranco Rotondi (born 25 July 1960) is an Italian politician and a member of the Chamber of Deputies.
Biography
Rotondi was born in Avellino, Campania.
Political career
Graduated in law, he was first elected in the Chamber of Deputies in 20 ...
's
Christian Democracy for the Autonomies
Christian Democracy for the Autonomies ( it, Democrazia Cristiana per le Autonomie, DCA) was a minor Christian-democratic political party in Italy.
History
DCA was founded on 25 October 2004 by a split from the Union of Christian and Centre Dem ...
, joined FLI.
On 29 September FLI voted yes in a vote of confidence to the government in the Chamber of Deputies, but two FLI deputies (
Mirko Tremaglia
Mirko Tremaglia (17 November 1926 – 30 December 2011) was an Italian politician and lawyer. Famous for his youth as a fascist soldier, he was one of the most important exponents of the Italian far-right politics during the "First Republic" Ital ...
and
Fabio Granata Fabio is a given name descended from Latin ''Fabius'' and very popular in Italy and Latin America (due to Italian migration). Its English equivalent is Fabian (name), Fabian.
The name is written without an accent in Italian and Spanish, but is usu ...
) voted against. On the same day Fini announced the imminent birth of a new party.
On 2 November the party logo was presented during a press conference. The day after two more deputies joined the party:
Roberto Rosso, a former Christian Democrat who had been leader of Forza Italia in
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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, population_blank1 =
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, demographics1_title2 ...
, and
Daniele Toto
Daniele is an Hebrew male given name, the cognate of the English name Daniel.
Danièle is a French female given name, an alternative spelling of Danielle.
Men with the given name Daniele
* Daniele Bracciali (born 1978), Italian tennis player
* ...
. In
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
the party joined forces with the remnants of the PdL–Sicily and formed an eight-strong group in the
Regional Assembly in support of President
Raffaele Lombardo
Raffaele Lombardo ; (born 29 October 1950, in Catania) is an Italian politician who was President of Sicily and former Member of the European Parliament for Islands with the Movement for the Autonomies and has sat on the European Parliament's Com ...
.
On 7 November, during a crowded convention in
Bastia Umbra
Bastia Umbra () is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 15 km southeast of Perugia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 20,523 and an area of 27.6 km2.All demogra ...
, Fini asked Berlusconi to step down from his post of Prime Minister and proposed a new government including the
Union of the Centre (UdC). Fini declared also that if Berlusconi were not to step down, FLI ministers and under-secretaries would leave the executive. As Berlusconi refused to do so, the four FLI members of the government resigned on 15 November.
On 14 December FLI voted against the government in a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies, a vote won by Berlusconi by 314 to 311. Three FLI deputies (Giampiero Catone,
Catia Polidori
CATIA (, an acronym of computer-aided three-dimensional interactive application) is a multi-platform software suite for computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), computer-aided engineering (CAE), 3D modeling and Product lif ...
and
Maria Grazia Siliquini
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
) voted in favour (along with
Giuseppe Angeli, who had left FLI and returned to the PdL in November), while another,
Silvano Moffa, abstained from the vote and chose to leave the party. Subsequently, also Catone, Polidori and Siliquini left FLI.
On 15 December 2010 FLI was a founding member of the
New Pole for Italy (NPI), along with the UdC and some minor parties.
Party foundation and defections
On 11–13 February 2011 FLI was officially established as a party during a congress in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and
Gianfranco Fini
Gianfranco Fini (born 3 January 1952) is an Italian politician who served as the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2013. He is the former leader of the far-right Italian Social Movement, the conservative National Allianc ...
was elected president of it.
During the congress, no-one questioned the leadership of Fini, but the party was divided between "radicals" (
Italo Bocchino
Italo Bocchino (born 6 July 1967) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Bocchino was born in Naples, and in his youth, he was a member of the Italian Social Movement (a post-fascist formation) and worked as a spokesman for the mem ...
,
Benedetto Della Vedova
Benedetto Della Vedova (Sondrio, 3 April 1962) is an Italian people, Italian politician.
A keen pro-Europeanism, pro-Europeanist, Della Vedova is currently president of Forza Europa (2017), Forza Europa (FE) and secretary of More Europe (+EU), t ...
,
Fabio Granata Fabio is a given name descended from Latin ''Fabius'' and very popular in Italy and Latin America (due to Italian migration). Its English equivalent is Fabian (name), Fabian.
The name is written without an accent in Italian and Spanish, but is usu ...
,
Carmelo Briguglio
Carmelo is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Carmelo Anthony (born 1984), American basketball player
* Carmelo Antrone Lee (born 1977), Puerto Rican basketball player
* Carmelo Bene (1937-2002), Italian director, actor, philo ...
,
Flavia Perina, etc.) and "moderates" (
Adolfo Urso
Adolfo Urso (born 12 July 1957 in Padua, Veneto) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Son of Sicily, Sicilian parents, after studying in Acireale and Catania, Urso graduated in sociology at the Sapienza University of Rome, "La Sa ...
,
Andrea Ronchi
Andrea Ronchi (born 3 August 1955) is an Italian politician, former Italian Minister of European Affairs. ,
Pasquale Viespoli,
Mario Baldassarri
Mario Baldassarri (born 10 September 1946) is an Italian economist and politician. He was a senator from 2006 to 2013.
Born in Macerata, he was vice-minister of Economy and Finance in Silvio Berlusconi's second and third governments, from 2001 ...
and most senators), who strongly opposed the rise of Bocchino to party leadership. Fini finally appointed Bocchino vice president, downgraded Urso to spokesperson, appointed another "radical", Della Vedova, at the head of the party in the Chamber of Deputies, while Viespoli, a "moderate", was confirmed as leader in the Senate. This caused outrage among the "moderates", and Urso and Viespoli were especially critical of Fini's choices.
On 15 February Viespoli resigned from the position of Senate floor leader, but was immediately re-elected by the 10 FLI senators with a new mandate: ensuring the centre-right credentials of the group. On 16 February senator
Giuseppe Menardi quit the party. On 17 February he was followed by senator
Francesco Pontone and deputy
Roberto Rosso, who both returned to the PdL. On 19 February also deputy
Luca Bellotti
The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent population from which all organisms now living on Earth share common descent—the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. This includes all cellular organisms; t ...
left to re-join the PdL. On 20 February it was the turn of deputy
Luca Barbareschi
Luca Barbareschi (born 28 July 1956 in Montevideo) is an Italian-Uruguayan actor, television presenter, and former member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. Barbareschi is Jewish.
He was one of four actors whom the Italian police believed ha ...
, formerly a "radical". On 22 February Pasquale Viespoli and
Maurizio Saia, both senators, left the party too and the senatorial group was dissolved. Viespoli, Menardi and Saia, along with other like-minded senators like
Adriana Poli Bortone
Adriana Poli Bortone (born 25 August 1943) is an Italian politician who was a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2008. She represented Southern Italy. She was mayor of Lecce until 2007.
Biography
Born in Lecce, she became Assistant ...
(
I the South
I the South (''Io Sud'', IS), was a conservative regionalist political party in Italy, which has been a faction of Brothers of Italy since 2014.
The party emerged in 2009 as an Apulian split from National Alliance (AN) led by Adriana Poli Bort ...
), formed a new centre-right group called
National Cohesion
National Cohesion (''Coesione Nazionale'', CN) was a centre-right parliamentary group active in the Italian Senate.
Launched on 2 March 2011, the group was supportive of Berlusconi IV Cabinet. The group's president was Pasquale Viespoli, forme ...
and returned into the fold of the majority.
On 16 February one more deputy,
Giulia Cosenza, walked out and returned to the PdL.
The party experienced more internal troubles in April 2011, in the run-up to local elections. Some leading members of the party disagreed with some candidatures decided by the party's national leadership, notably in
Latina
Latina or Latinas most often refers to:
* Latinas, a demographic group in the United States
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America.
*Latin Americans
Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
and
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. This finally led MEP
Enzo Rivellini to step down from the regional leadership in
Campania
Campania (, also , , , ) is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the i ...
and leave the party. Another MEP,
Potito Salatto, and one senator,
Candido De Angelis, left their leadership posts too. In the meantime the party's "moderates", led Urso and Ronchi, launched their own faction, ''
FareItalia FareItalia (translation: MakeItaly) was an Italian conservative political association.
The group was founded in April 2011 by Adolfo Urso, Andrea Ronchi and Giuseppe Scalia as a "moderate" faction within Future and Freedom (FLI) in opposition to ...
'', open to members of all the centre-right parties, from the PdL to UDC. In May Ronchi resigned from president of the party's national assembly. In June Ronchi, along with Urso and
Giuseppe Scalia (Sicilian leader of FLI), left the party.
On 30 December 2011
Mirko Tremaglia
Mirko Tremaglia (17 November 1926 – 30 December 2011) was an Italian politician and lawyer. Famous for his youth as a fascist soldier, he was one of the most important exponents of the Italian far-right politics during the "First Republic" Ital ...
, a veteran of the
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...
and a historic figure in the history of MSI and AN, died.
Dissolution
In the
2013 general election, held in February 2013, the party ran as part of the
With Monti for Italy
With Monti for Italy ( it, Con Monti per l'Italia) was an electoral coalition of political parties in Italy, formed for the 2013 general election to support the outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti and his reform plans. Its platform was based ...
alliance with the UdC and
Civic Choice
Civic Choice ( it, Scelta Civica; SC) was a centrist and liberal political party in Italy founded by Mario Monti. The party was formed in the run-up of the 2013 general election to support the outgoing Prime Minister Monti and continue his polit ...
and obtained a mere 0.4% of the vote, returning no seats in the Chamber and one in the Senate, plus two elects by Italians abroad. Subsequently, Fini resigned from party president. It was also decided that, under the leadership of
Roberto Menia, FLI would reconnect with the other wings of the former AN in order to recompose the Italian right. As a result, the party decided to support
Gianni Alemanno
Giovanni "Gianni" Alemanno (born 3 March 1958) is an Italian politician who from April 2008 until June 2013 was Mayor of Rome for the centre-right People of Freedom.
He was the Secretary of the National Movement for Sovereignty from 2017 to 201 ...
, a former AN bigwig, as mayor in the run-off of Rome municipal election.
In the following months, several FLI members left the party.
Benedetto Della Vedova
Benedetto Della Vedova (Sondrio, 3 April 1962) is an Italian people, Italian politician.
A keen pro-Europeanism, pro-Europeanist, Della Vedova is currently president of Forza Europa (2017), Forza Europa (FE) and secretary of More Europe (+EU), t ...
,
Aldo Di Biagio and
Maria Ida Germontani joined SC (Della Vedova was appointed spokesperson),
Fabio Granata Fabio is a given name descended from Latin ''Fabius'' and very popular in Italy and Latin America (due to Italian migration). Its English equivalent is Fabian (name), Fabian.
The name is written without an accent in Italian and Spanish, but is usu ...
and
Flavia Perina joined
Green Italia
Green Italia is a green political party in Italy.
The party was founded in June 2013 by a heterogeneous group of politicians, notably including Monica Frassoni (co-spokesperson of the European Green Party and former independent MEP of the Federa ...
,
Carmelo Briguglio
Carmelo is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Carmelo Anthony (born 1984), American basketball player
* Carmelo Antrone Lee (born 1977), Puerto Rican basketball player
* Carmelo Bene (1937-2002), Italian director, actor, philo ...
re-joined Alemanno in
Italy First,
Francesco Divella launched
Protagonist Apulia,
Potito Salatto joined forces with the UdC aiming at forming a joint party on the
European People's Party
The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian-democratic, conservative, and liberal-conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other political parties. Founded by primarily Ch ...
's model, etc. What remained of the party started to cooperate with
The Right,
Tricolour Flame
The Social Movement Tricolour Flame ( it, Movimento Sociale Fiamma Tricolore, MSFT), commonly known as Tricolour Flame (''Fiamma Tricolore''), is a neo-fascist political party in Italy.
History
The party was started by the more radical members of ...
,
I the South
I the South (''Io Sud'', IS), was a conservative regionalist political party in Italy, which has been a faction of Brothers of Italy since 2014.
The party emerged in 2009 as an Apulian split from National Alliance (AN) led by Adriana Poli Bort ...
and other right-wing parties and people in order to form a "new National Alliance". In the meantime, most members of the former AN had either returned into the PdL's fold or joined
Brothers of Italy
Brothers of Italy ( it, Fratelli d'Italia, FdI) is a national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Italy. It is led by Giorgia Meloni, the incumbent Prime Minister of Italy and the first woman to serve in the position. Accor ...
, a party led by
Giorgia Meloni
Giorgia Meloni (; born 15 January 1977) is an Italian politician who has been serving as the Prime Minister of Italy since 22 October 2022, the first woman to hold this position. A member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2006, she has led the ...
and
Ignazio La Russa
Ignazio Benito Maria La Russa (born 18 July 1947) is an Italian politician who is serving as President of the Senate of the Republic since 13 October 2022. He is the first politician with a neo-fascist background to hold the position of Presid ...
which was granted by the "National Alliance Foundation" of the permission to use AN's name and symbol in December 2013.
In the
2014 Piedmontese regional election FLI ran with The Right and the
Social Right
Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institutio ...
into
United Right, but the joint list obtained no seats.
FLI was officially disbanded sometime between 2013 and 2014. Fini, who was not a member of the Chamber of Deputies for the first time in thirty years and was one of the few incumbent Presidents not to be returned to Parliament, continued his political activity through an association named
FreeRight.
Ideology and factions
The ideology of Future and Freedom stretched from
national conservatism
National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity. National conservatives usually combine nationalism with conservative stances promoting traditional cultural values, ...
to
liberal conservatism
Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by libe ...
, but some of its leading members had a strong taste for
social liberalism
Social liberalism (german: Sozialliberalismus, es, socioliberalismo, nl, Sociaalliberalisme), also known as new liberalism in the United Kingdom, modern liberalism, or simply liberalism in the contemporary United States, left-liberalism ...
. Its core issues include the defense of national unity, suspicion of
federal
Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
Politics
General
*Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies
*Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
reform and the development of
Southern Italy
Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half.
The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...
.
The core of FLI was constituted by
Generation Italy Generation Italy (''Generazione Italia'', GI) or ''Finiani'' was an association connected to Future and Freedom (FLI), a political party in Italy, and earlier to The People of Freedom (PdL).
Although most of its members came from the conservative ...
(GI), to which a majority of FLI deputies and senators are affiliated, but also the other two factions of the ''arcipelago finiano'' (
National Area and
Open Space) are represented. On the cultural side, the ''
FareFuturo'' foundation and ''
Secolo d'Italia
''Secolo d'Italia'' (; "Century of Italy") is a daily, conservative, online newspaper in Italy, published since 1952. In 2012, it ceased its print edition and continued as an online-only publication.
Political and ideological context
After ...
'' newspaper are very influential.
Most FLI members come from the
post-fascist tradition of the
Italian Social Movement
The Italian Social Movement ( it, Movimento Sociale Italiano, MSI) was a neo-fascist political party in Italy. A far-right party, it presented itself until the 1990s as the defender of Italian fascism's legacy, and later moved towards national ...
(MSI) and
National Alliance (AN) with some notable exceptions:
Benedetto Della Vedova
Benedetto Della Vedova (Sondrio, 3 April 1962) is an Italian people, Italian politician.
A keen pro-Europeanism, pro-Europeanist, Della Vedova is currently president of Forza Europa (2017), Forza Europa (FE) and secretary of More Europe (+EU), t ...
(a former
Radical
Radical may refer to:
Politics and ideology Politics
*Radical politics, the political intent of fundamental societal change
*Radicalism (historical), the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and ...
, who was elected deputy for Forza Italia, FI, and was later the leader of the ''
Libertiamo
Libertiamo is a libertarian association chaired by Benedetto Della Vedova.
The group is the continuation of the Liberal Reformers (RL), an associate party of Forza Italia, formed in 2007 by Benedetto Della Vedova, a former President of the I ...
'' association),
Barbara Contini (a former Governor of
Nasiriyah
Nasiriyah ( ar, ٱلنَّاصِرِيَّة; United States Board on Geographic Names, BGN: ''An Nāşirīyah''; also spelled ''Nassiriya'' or ''Nasiriya'') is a city in Iraq. It is on the lower Euphrates River, Euphrates, about south-southeas ...
, Iraq elected for FI),
Chiara Moroni
Chiara Moroni (born 23 October 1974 in Iseo) is an Italian politician, daughter of Sergio Moroni, a Socialist politician who killed himself during Tangentopoli.
Chiara Moroni was elected deputy in the 2001 general election for the constituency o ...
(a former
Socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
, later member of FI),
Giuseppe Valditara
Giuseppe Valditara (born 12 January 1961) is an Italian academic. He has been minister of education in the Meloni Cabinet from 22 october 2022.
Biography
Valditara was full professor of private and public Roman law at the Department of Law of ...
(a former member of
Lega Nord
Lega Nord (; acronym: LN), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing, federalist, populist and conservative political party in Italy. In the run-up of the 2018 general election, the party was rebranded as (), without changing its official n ...
),
Giulia Bongiorno
Giulia Bongiorno (born 22 March 1966) is an Italian lawyer and politician who served as the Italian Minister of Public Administration from 1 June 2018 to 5 September 2019. A prominent criminal defense attorney, she has served in both houses of th ...
,
Alessandro Ruben
Alessandro Ruben (born 14 October 1966) is an Italian politician. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2013.
Early life
Ruben was born in Rome to a Jewish family.
Political career
He was elected as a member of The People ...
and a handful of former
Christian Democrats
__NOTOC__
Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social ...
. However most FLI members are Southern conservatives or MSI nostalgics worried by the growing influence of
Lega Nord
Lega Nord (; acronym: LN), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing, federalist, populist and conservative political party in Italy. In the run-up of the 2018 general election, the party was rebranded as (), without changing its official n ...
over the centre-right, federal reform and
economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberalism ...
. The party was actually very heterogeneous, and it was possible to identify some divisions either over politics or policies.
First, on the relations with the PdL, at the beginning there was a clear divide between a "radical" wing (
Italo Bocchino
Italo Bocchino (born 6 July 1967) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Bocchino was born in Naples, and in his youth, he was a member of the Italian Social Movement (a post-fascist formation) and worked as a spokesman for the mem ...
,
Fabio Granata Fabio is a given name descended from Latin ''Fabius'' and very popular in Italy and Latin America (due to Italian migration). Its English equivalent is Fabian (name), Fabian.
The name is written without an accent in Italian and Spanish, but is usu ...
,
Carmelo Briguglio
Carmelo is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Carmelo Anthony (born 1984), American basketball player
* Carmelo Antrone Lee (born 1977), Puerto Rican basketball player
* Carmelo Bene (1937-2002), Italian director, actor, philo ...
,
Flavia Perina,
Luca Barbareschi
Luca Barbareschi (born 28 July 1956 in Montevideo) is an Italian-Uruguayan actor, television presenter, and former member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. Barbareschi is Jewish.
He was one of four actors whom the Italian police believed ha ...
and most deputies) and a "moderate" one (
Andrea Ronchi
Andrea Ronchi (born 3 August 1955) is an Italian politician, former Italian Minister of European Affairs. ,
Pasquale Viespoli,
Roberto Menia and most senators).
Some (the "moderates" and
Adolfo Urso
Adolfo Urso (born 12 July 1957 in Padua, Veneto) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Son of Sicily, Sicilian parents, after studying in Acireale and Catania, Urso graduated in sociology at the Sapienza University of Rome, "La Sa ...
) long continued to consider themselves as part of the PdL, while others (the "radicals" and Menia) wanted FLI to be autonomous from the PdL.
Shortly before launching the new party, Fini sided with the "radicals" and criticized the "moderates". Many "moderates", most of the former Christian Democrats and even "radical" Barbareschi left the party along the way.
Some "moderates" led by Urso and Ronchi launched ''
FareItalia FareItalia (translation: MakeItaly) was an Italian conservative political association.
The group was founded in April 2011 by Adolfo Urso, Andrea Ronchi and Giuseppe Scalia as a "moderate" faction within Future and Freedom (FLI) in opposition to ...
'', others directly re-joined the PdL.
Second, while some ''Finiani'' (Bocchino, Granata, etc.) see FLI as the embryo of a modern and innovative right-wing, others (Menia, Urso, etc.) have joined FLI in order to re-create the political community of the late MSI. In this sense the word "future" in the party's name was a reference to
futurism
Futurism ( it, Futurismo, link=no) was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such ...
, which was a cultural inspiration for
Italian Fascism.
Both progressive and reactionary forces thus hail from FLI, but almost none identifies with the
political centre
Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the l ...
.
Third, on the economy, the predominant strain in FLI was highly influenced by
dirigisme
Dirigisme or dirigism () is an economic doctrine in which the state plays a strong directive (policies) role contrary to a merely regulatory interventionist role over a market economy. As an economic doctrine, dirigisme is the opposite of ''lai ...
,
statism
In political science, statism is the doctrine that the political authority of the state is legitimate to some degree. This may include economic and social policy, especially in regard to taxation and the means of production.
While in use sinc ...
,
corporatism
Corporatism is a collectivist political ideology which advocates the organization of society by corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, on the basis of their common interests. The ...
and
centralism
Centralisation or centralization (see spelling differences) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, framing strategy and policies become concentrated within a particu ...
(all well represented in the ideology of the former MSI).
Salvatore Merlo writes that "though Fini would never admit it ... many of the positions adopted by him today derive from a certain thread in fascist culture" and ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' remarks that "many of Mr Fini's fellow-rebels originated in the social wing of neo-fascism, whose anti-capitalist adherents embraced such ideas as feminism and environmentalism as long ago as the 1970s", that was why FLI "has perhaps the oddest pedigree of any progressive group on the European right". However, FLI included also some uncompromising
economic liberals
Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberalis ...
such as Benedetto Della Vedova, his fellow former Radicals and the ''Libertiamo'' faction and foundation. Moreover, some ''Finiani'', notably including Mario Baldassarri, propose to lower taxes and to slow down the introduction of fiscal federalism instead.
Fourth, on ethical issues, which caused some of the main strifes between Fini and the majority of the PdL and of the former AN, some FLI members such as Della Vedova were pushing for a progressive commitment aimed at the introduction of civil unions and the liberalisation of artificial insemination, while others did not consider those issues a priority or oppose any departure from the traditional
social conservatism
Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institutio ...
of MSI/AN.
Electoral results
Italian Parliament
Symbols
File:FUTURO E LIBERTA'.jpg, Official logo
File:Futuro e Libertà logo.png, Electoral logo
Leadership
*President:
Gianfranco Fini
Gianfranco Fini (born 3 January 1952) is an Italian politician who served as the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2013. He is the former leader of the far-right Italian Social Movement, the conservative National Allianc ...
(2011–2013)
*Vice President:
Italo Bocchino
Italo Bocchino (born 6 July 1967) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Bocchino was born in Naples, and in his youth, he was a member of the Italian Social Movement (a post-fascist formation) and worked as a spokesman for the mem ...
(2011–2013)
**Coordinator:
Adolfo Urso
Adolfo Urso (born 12 July 1957 in Padua, Veneto) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Son of Sicily, Sicilian parents, after studying in Acireale and Catania, Urso graduated in sociology at the Sapienza University of Rome, "La Sa ...
(2010–2011),
Roberto Menia (2011–2014)
**Spokesperson:
Silvano Moffa (2010),
Benedetto Della Vedova
Benedetto Della Vedova (Sondrio, 3 April 1962) is an Italian people, Italian politician.
A keen pro-Europeanism, pro-Europeanist, Della Vedova is currently president of Forza Europa (2017), Forza Europa (FE) and secretary of More Europe (+EU), t ...
(2010–2011),
Giulia Bongiorno
Giulia Bongiorno (born 22 March 1966) is an Italian lawyer and politician who served as the Italian Minister of Public Administration from 1 June 2018 to 5 September 2019. A prominent criminal defense attorney, she has served in both houses of th ...
(2012–2013)
*President of the National Assembly:
Andrea Ronchi
Andrea Ronchi (born 3 August 1955) is an Italian politician, former Italian Minister of European Affairs. (2011),
Salvatore Tatarella (2011–2014)
*Party Leader in the
Chamber of Deputies
The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures.
Description
Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...
:
Italo Bocchino
Italo Bocchino (born 6 July 1967) is an Italian politician and journalist.
Biography
Bocchino was born in Naples, and in his youth, he was a member of the Italian Social Movement (a post-fascist formation) and worked as a spokesman for the mem ...
(2010–2011),
Benedetto Della Vedova
Benedetto Della Vedova (Sondrio, 3 April 1962) is an Italian people, Italian politician.
A keen pro-Europeanism, pro-Europeanist, Della Vedova is currently president of Forza Europa (2017), Forza Europa (FE) and secretary of More Europe (+EU), t ...
(2011–2013)
*Party Leader in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
:
Pasquale Viespoli (2010–2011),
Candido De Angelis (2011–2013)
*Party Leader in the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
:
Cristiana Muscardini
Cristiana Muscardini (born 6 November 1948 in Cannobio) is an Italian politician and freelance writer and publicist.
Graduated in philosophy, Cristiana Muscardini was executive of the ''National University Action Front'', the Italian Social Mo ...
(2010–2012)
References
External links
Official websiteGeneration ItalyNational Area''FareFuturo''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Future And Freedom
Defunct political parties in Italy
Liberal parties in Italy
2010 establishments in Italy
2014 disestablishments in Italy
Political parties established in 2010
Political parties disestablished in 2014
Conservative parties in Italy