Great Autonomies and Freedom
Grandi Autonomie e Libertà
Founded20 March 2013
Dissolved23 March 2018
IdeologyRegionalism
Christian democracy
Political positionCentre-right (majority)

Great Autonomies and Freedom (Italian: Grandi Autonomie e Libertà, GAL) was a miscellaneous and highly heterogeneous, mainly centre-right, regionalist and Christian-democratic, parliamentary group active in the Italian Senate.[1]

The group was formed in March 2013 by senators elected with The People of Freedom (PdL) and Lega Nord (LN) to counterbalance the For the Autonomies group, a centre-left outfit allied with the Democratic Party (PD).[2][3] Only three senators were members of the group for five years: Mario Ferrara, Giovanni Mauro and Giulio Tremonti (the first two elected with the PdL in representation of Great South; the latter elected with the LN and member of the group since May 2013).[1]

In the following years, the group changed its scope, as several of its members started to support the Renzi Cabinet, and, almost completely, its composition: the LN members returned to their home group, most PdL and, later, Forza Italia (FI) members switched to other parties and groups (in July 2015, in particular, five senators left to join a fully pro-Renzi group, the Liberal Popular Alliance, ALA), and senators of different ideological and electoral backgrounds joined, including, for some time, members of the Federation of the Greens and Italy of Values (IdV), both left-leaning.

In May 2017 the group was joined by seven senators of Direction Italy (DI) and left by five senators, including the four senators of Identity and Action (IdeA),[1] who launched the alternative Federation of Freedom (FdL) group.[4][5][6] In December the group was finally left by the seven DI senators, who were founding members of Us with Italy (NcI), and joined by four senators of the Union of the Centre (UdC).[1][7] IdeA and the UdC were partners in the Chamber of Deputies.[8]

As a result, after several changes in its composition (see below) and naming, as of December 2017 the group's full name was Great Autonomies and Freedom – Union of Christian and Centre Democrats.[1] In its final composition, the group was overwhelmingly opposed to Gentiloni Cabinet.

Composition

Party Main ideology MPs 2013 MPs 2018
Great South Regionalism 3 2
The People of Freedom Liberal conservatism 3 –
Lega Nord Regionalism 2 –
Party of Sicilians Regionalism 2 –
Union of the Centre Christian democracy – 4
Forza Italia Liberal conservatism – 1
Other parties, non-party independents – 7
Total 10 14

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "senato.it – Composizione del Gruppo Grandi Autonomie e Libertà – Unione dei Democratici Cristiani e Democratici di Centro nella XVII Legislatura". www.senato.it.
  2. ^ "Senato, "spacchettato" il gruppo Misto, nasce "Grande autonomia e libertà"". Il Fatto Quotidiano. March 21, 2013.
  3. ^ "Chi sono i 10 senatori di Grandi Autonomie e Libertà". March 22, 2013.
  4. ^ "senato.it – Composizione del Gruppo Federazione della Libertà (Idea-Popolo e Libertà, PLI) nella XVII Legislatura". www.senato.it.
  5. ^ "Al Senato nasce il gruppo anti-Rosatellum". L'HuffPost. May 18, 2017.
  6. ^ "Senato: nasce gruppo Federazione libertà – Ultima Ora". ANSA.it. May 18, 2017.
  7. ^ "senato.it – Composizione del Gruppo Noi con l'Italia nella XVII Legislatura". www.senato.it.
  8. ^ "XVII Legislatura – XVII Legislatura – Deputati e Organi Parlamentari – Composizione gruppi Parlamentari". www.camera.it.
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