The Leonese People's Union ( es, Unión del Pueblo Leonés, links=, Leonese: ''Unión del Pueblu Llionés'', UPL) is a regional political party in Castilla y León, Spain. UPL strives to establish a separate autonomous community ( Comunidad Autónoma de León or ''Autonomous Community of León'') for the provinces of León, Zamora and Salamanca (center of the old

Kingdom of León The Kingdom of León; es, Reino de León; gl, Reino de León; pt, Reino de Leão; la, Regnum Legionense; mwl, Reino de Lhion was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in 910 when t ...

), now in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León. Such a movement is known as Leonesism.

History

UPL was founded in 1986 by a group of people coming from different León regionalist movements and various statewide parties ( Popular Alliance, Union of the Democratic Centre, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party). Initially it was known as Leonesist Union (''Unión Leonesista'', UNLE). It adopted its current name in 1991, when José María Rodríguez de Francisco took over the leadership of the party. In the municipality of León the party obtained three seats in the municipal council. It also won one seat in the provincial council. In the municipal elections in 2007, UPL obtained 10.88% and three seats in the municipal council of León. In the Castile and León autonomous elections the same year, it obtained 2.69% of the votes and two seats over 83. Its youth branch was

Conceyu Xoven Conceyu Xoven ("Young Council" in Leonese) was a Spanish political youth organization that demanded the self-determination of the proposed Leonese Country. It was affiliated with the Leonese People's Union as its youth wing until April 2010, when ...

, an organization that promotes official status for the Leonese language and the unity and self-determination for the Leonese Country. Conceyu Xoven was expelled from the party due to its radical positions, with the Leonist Youth being designated the new youth wing of UPL.

Electoral performance

Cortes of Castile and León The Cortes of Castile and León (Spanish: ''Cortes de Castilla y León'') is the elected unicameral legislature of the Autonomous Community of Castile and León. The tradition of the regional Cortes is traced back to the Royal Council (Latin: ' ...

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