Piedmontese Union (''Union Piemontèisa'', UP) was a regionalist political party active in Piedmont. It was founded in 1981 by

Roberto Gremmo The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, a former member of the Italian Communist Party. The party was soon joined by

Gipo Farassino Giuseppe "Gipo" Farassino (11 March 1934 – 11 December 2013) was an Italian singer, songwriter, musician and politician. Biography As a songwriter Farassino produced more than 30 albums and virtually 50 singles. Most of his songs were in Pie ...

, another former Communist and well-known folk-singer. In the 1985 regional election UP won 1.1% of the vote under the banner of Liga Veneta. In the 1987 general election Gremmo formed an alliance with

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 ...

Lega Lombarda Lega Lombarda ( en, Lombard League; abbr. LL), whose complete name is ( en, Lombard League for Salvini Premier), is a regionalist political party active in Lombardy. Established in 1984, it was one of the founding "national" sections of Lega ...

, but was damaged by the split led by Farassino,

Mario Borghezio Mario Borghezio (; born on 3 December 1947) is an Italian politician from the Northern League. Biography Born on 3 December 1947 in Turin. A former member of the Jeune Europe movement founded by Jean Thiriart, he was also a member of Ordi ...

and

Renzo Rabellino Renzo Rabellino (born in Turin on September 12, 1958) is the leader of the No Euro Movement, a political party in Italy that advocates the return of the Italian lira for the Italian currency and government control of the central bank. Elected in 1 ...

, who formed Autonomist Piedmont (PA). In 1989 Bossi welcomed both UP and PA into his

Lega Lombarda – Alleanza Nord Lega Lombarda – Alleanza Nord (''Lombard League – Northern Alliance'') was an electoral alliance for the 1989 European Parliament election in Italy. It was composed by six regionalist parties representative of six Northern regions: *Lega Lom ...

coalition for the European Parliament election. Gremmo refused to join forces again with Farassino and Borghezio, who were separatists while he was a federalist, and resigned from editor of ''Lombardia Autonomista'', the official publication of Lega Lombarda. Subsequently, he refused to participate to the founding process 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 ...

and UP started its decline. In the 1990 regional election, UP won 2.3% of the vote and Gremmo was elected to the Regional Council, while PA gained 5.1% and three regional councillors. For the 1992 general election, Gremmo transformed the party into Lega Alpina Piemont (LAP), sister-party of the Lega Alpina Lumbarda: PA, now part of Lega Nord, won 16.3% in Piedmont, LAP just 2.2%.Piergiorgio Corbetta; Maria Serena Piretti, ''Atlante storico-elettorale d'Italia'', Zanichelli, Bologna 2009, p. 171 The party has since then disappeared. Among its successors one can count Lega Padana Piemont of Rabellino.

Leadership

*National Secretary:

(1981–1992)

References

{{reflist

Sources

History of Piedmontese autonomism
Political parties in Piedmont Political parties established in 1981 Regionalist parties in Italy