Act! (Italy) Explained

Colorcode:
  1. FFFA00
Act!
Native Name:Fare!
Leader1 Title:Secretary
Leader1 Name:Flavio Tosi
Leader2 Title:Coordinator
Leader2 Name:Fabio Venturi
Foundation:21 July 2015
Dissolution:15 June 2022
Split:Liga Veneta
Merged:Forza Italia
Headquarters:Via delle Nazioni, 19
37135 Verona
Ideology:Liberalism[1]
Liberal conservatism
Federalism
Position:Centre-right[2]
National:Us with Italy (2017–18)
Seats1 Title:Chamber of Deputies
Seats2 Title:Senate
Seats3 Title:European Parliament
Colours: Yellow, black
Country:Italy

Act! (Italian: Fare!) was a centre-right liberal political party in Italy, based in Veneto.

Its leader was Flavio Tosi, former mayor of Verona and former leader of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord (LV–LN), who was expelled from it in the run-up of the 2015 Venetian regional election, due to his opposition to Matteo Salvini's political line.[3]

History

Background

In the run-up of the 2015 regional election, after a long struggle with Lega Nord federal secretary Matteo Salvini, Flavio Tosi was ejected from the party and, consequently, removed from his office of national secretary of Liga Veneta, the largest party in Veneto and one of the largest "national" sections of Lega Nord.[4] [5] Consequently, Tosi decided to run for President of Veneto, in competition with incumbent President Luca Zaia (official candidate of the party).[6]

Tosi was joined by three deputies (Matteo Bragantini, Roberto Caon, Emanuele Prataviera), three senators (Patrizia Bisinella, Raffaela Bellot, Emanuela Munerato),[7] and nine regional councillors of Veneto (Luca Baggio, Matteo Toscani, Francesco Piccolo, Daniele Stival, Giuseppe Stoppato, Diego Bottacin, Maurizio Conte, Andrea Bassi, Leonardo Padrin, Mauro Mainardi, Renzo Marangon and Moreno Teso). The latter came not just from Liga Veneta, but also other parties.

In the regional election, whose results were a large victory of Zaia and a historical high for Liga Veneta, Tosi won 11.9% of the vote as candidate for President and two lists close to him, the Tosi List for Veneto and Il Veneto del Fare con Tosi, obtained a combined 7.1% and four regional councillors (Bassi, Conte, Stefano Casali and Giovanna Negro).

Foundation and early years

In July 2015, Tosi re-organised his followers into a full-fledged party, named Act! (Fare!). Immediately, Michele Boldrin, former leader of Act to Stop the Decline, sued Act! as the names of the two parties looked too similar,[8] but nothing consequential happened.

In September a fourth deputy joined the party: Marco Marcolin, also from Liga Veneta–Lega Nord.[9] Marcolin would switch to Civic Choice (SC) in October 2016.[10] [11] [12]

In October Act! became an occasional supporter of the government led by Matteo Renzi, whom Tosi held in high esteem, fueling rumors that the party might either enter in stable alliance with or join Renzi's Democratic Party (PD).[13] However, during the party's national convention in February 2016, Tosi rejected any notion of a stable alliance with Renzi, while expressing his interest for an agreement with centre-right forces.[14] In fact, Act! maintained its independence from the government, while occasionally supporting it and favouring the "yes" vote in the 2016 constitutional referendum, differently from the entire centre-right. The vote resulted in a huge defeat for Renzi, who resigned from Prime Minister and was replaced by Democrat Paolo Gentiloni, at the head of a similar centre-left government.

Following April 2016, Act! formed a sub-group within the Mixed Group of the Chamber of Deputies in alliance with the Italian Republican Party (PRI), a minor liberal party which had no deputies, but had run in the 2013 general election and, as such, could form a sub-group under its name.[15]

Internal rifts and centrist alliances

In November 2016, Casali launched his bid for mayor of Verona in 2017 without Tosi's support,[16] in the following months formed a separate group from that of the Tosi List for Verona in the Municipal Council, while continuing to lead the Tosi List for Veneto in the Regional Council,[17] [18] and finally chose to support the joint centre-right candidate for mayor, Federico Sboarina.[19] Bisinella was instead chosen as the party's official candidate for mayor.[20] [21]

Contextually, at the national level, Tosi was planning a new liberal party with Civic Choice (SC), the support of the Fondazione Luigi Einaudi and the endorsement of Guy Verhofstadt (leader of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament),[22] in the context of a broad centrist front, composed also by Popular Alternative (AP), the Centrists for Europe (CpE) and the Liberal Popular Alliance (ALA).[23] [24] [25] In May the liberal and pro-EU "Free Italy" was launched during a convention.[26]

In May 2017, Casali and Bassi finally left Act! and formed a separate group from LTV's in the Regional Council, the Venetian Centre-Right.[27] [28] In doing this, they were joined by a third councillor, Fabiano Barbisan of Liga Veneta (but elected with the Zaia List), for technical reasons.

In June 2017, Bisinella came second with 23.5% in the municipal election of Verona, but, despite the external support of the PD,[29] she was defeated by Sboarina 41.9% to 58.1% in the run-off.[30] The Tosi List won 16.5% (with Tosi obtaining 3,000 preference votes)[31] and Act! 2.7%. Outside Verona, Tosiani obtained negligible results.

Back to the centre-right

After the defeat in Verona, Tosi started a rapprochement with the centre-right coalition, especially with Silvio Berlusconi and his Forza Italia (FI) party.[32] [33] [34] Despite this, the party suffered another centre-right split in Veneto, where Conte launched Veneto for Autonomy,[35] [36] [37] effectively disbanding the LTV. Along with Conte, the two most leading founding members of the new party were Baggio, a former regional councillor and national president of Liga Veneta, and Caon, a deputy. Subsequently, Caon left the party's sub-group and joined the group of FI, while the remaining two Act! deputies joined forces with AP splinter Enrico Costa, under the new name "Act!–PRI–Liberals".[38]

In December 2017 Act! was a founding member of Us with Italy (NcI), a pro-Berlusconi centrist electoral list within the centre-right for the 2018 general election, along with SC, splinters of AP (two groups, one led by Costa and the other by Maurizio Lupi), Direction Italy (DI), Cantiere Popolare (CP) and the Movement for the Autonomies (MpA).[39] [40] [41] NcI was later enlarged with the inclusion of the Union of the Centre (UdC)[42] [43] [44] and Identity and Action (IdeA),[45] [46] with the goal of reaching 3.0%, required to win seats from proportional lists under a new electoral law.

Dissolution and merger with Forza Italia

Flavio Tosi once again ran for mayor in the municipal elections of Verona in 2022, supported by the Tosi List, by Act! and by Forza Italia. The final result was 23.9%, finishing third after Damiano Tommasi (candidate of the centre-left coalition, who won the ballot) and Federico Sboarina (candidate for Brothers of Italy and the League, defeated also due to the refused semblance with the lists is support of Tosi). On 15 June 2022, following the results of the first round of the Municipal election, Tosi finally announced the merger of the Tosi List and Act! into Forza Italia, bringing an end to the party's existence.[47] [48] [49]

Ideology

Act! adopted a moderate approach, supporting social conservatism on public security, social liberalism on social themes (even though some of its elects were quite conservative on those issues), economic liberalism and federalism. Here were some of the positions held by the party:

Leadership

Notes and References

  1. News: Ecco il partito di Tosi. L'Intraprendente. 21 July 2015.
  2. News: Il partito di Flavio Tosi: "Fare!". Claudio Peri. Panorama. 21 July 2015.
  3. Web site: Il partito di Flavio Tosi: "Fare!" – Panorama . Panorama.it . 2015-07-21 . 2019-03-31.
  4. Web site: Caso Tosi, Salvini: "Prendo atto della sua decadenza da segretario veneto". 10 March 2015. Corriere della Sera.
  5. Web site: Archivio Corriere della Sera. archivio.corriere.it.
  6. Web site: Tosi si candida in Veneto e attacca Salvini: "Nemmeno Renzi si sarebbe comportato così". LaStampa.it. 15 March 2015 .
  7. Web site: Partito di Tosi prossimo al lancio: martedì 21 luglio a Roma alla Camera dei Deputati. VeronaSera.
  8. Web site: Flavio Tosi nei guai: "Fare per farmare il declino" gli fa causa. www.liberoquotidiano.it.
  9. News: E la Lega restò senza parlamentari veneti. Michele Muro. L'Intraprendente. September 2015.
  10. Web site: Scelta Civica, Zanetti vince la battaglia sul nome e Verdini entra in maggioranza. 12 October 2016. l'Espresso.
  11. Web site: Taglio stipendi parlamentari, l'ex leghista entrato in maggioranza: "Raddoppiamo i nostri emolumenti, basta demagogia". 25 October 2016. Il Fatto Quotidiano.
  12. Web site: Marcolin (Scelta Civica): "raddoppiare stipendi parlamentari". Vvox. 25 October 2016. 31 March 2019. 31 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190331011913/https://www.vvox.it/2016/10/25/marcolin-scelta-civica-raddoppiare-stipendi-parlamentari/. dead.
  13. News: Renzi-Tosi, patto segreto. Eccolo. Alberto Maggi. Affari Italiani. 12 October 2015.
  14. News: Tosi: "Noi i veri moderati Renzi non ha rivali e vince". Il Mattino di Padova. 29 February 2016.
  15. Web site: "Flavio Tosi è il nuovo La Malfa" E Fare! ingloba il (moribondo) Pri. Lillo. Aldegheri. 3 May 2016. Corriere del Veneto.
  16. Web site: Amministrative 2017. Casali si candida a sindaco. Pd: "Noi alternativi a Tosi". VeronaSera.
  17. Web site: Tosiani spaccati, nasce il gruppo di Stefano Casali. Società Editrice Athesis. S.p.A. L'Arena.it.
  18. Web site: Verona, Tosi senza maggioranza: sopravvivenza neo-democristiana. Matteo. Castagna. 8 April 2017. 31 March 2019. 31 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190331011913/https://www.vvox.it/2017/04/08/verona-tosi-senza-maggioranza-sopravvivenza-neo-democristiana/. dead.
  19. Web site: Verona Domani lancia Sboarina. Casali: "Il nostro centrodestra è un modello". VeronaSera.
  20. Web site: E' il giorno di Patrizia Bisinella La fidanzata aspirante sindaco. Lillo. Aldegheri. 22 April 2017. Corriere del Veneto.
  21. Web site: Ora è ufficiale: nel solco della continuità, Bisinella è candidata sindaco. VeronaSera.
  22. Web site: Enrico Zanetti: "Nascerà un soggetto liberale ed europeista" – Scelta Civica. www.sceltacivica.it. 2017-05-10. 2017-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20170412061710/http://www.sceltacivica.it/doc/2160/enrico-zanetti-nasce-soggetto-liberale-e-europeista.htm. dead.
  23. Web site: Alfano & Co. lanciano le primarie aperte: "Fuori gli estremisti". Angelo. Scarano. ilGiornale.it. 8 April 2017 .
  24. Web site: Da Alfano a Casini, a Tosi e a Zanetti, centristi lanciano il partito dei moderati: in autunno le primarie. 8 April 2017. Agorà24.
  25. Web site: Cosa faranno insieme Alfano, Casini, Tosi e Zanetti - Formiche.net . 2017-04-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170412062320/http://formiche.net/2017/04/08/616010/ . 2017-04-12 . dead .
  26. Web site: Liberaitalia – Europa Fisco Giustizia. Idee per liberare l'Italia da populismo statalismo giustizialismo. Radio. Radicale. 6 May 2017. Radio Radicale.
  27. Web site: Stefano Casali e Andrea Bassi non sono più tosiani. Venturi: "Traditori". VeronaSera.
  28. Web site: Casali e Bassi creano nuovo gruppo in regione. TGVerona.it.
  29. Web site: Il Pd ha deciso di non decidere per gli elettori: "Andate a votare con libertà di scelta". VeronaSera.
  30. Web site: Comune di Verona – Veneto – Elezioni Comunali Italia – Risultati – 11–25 giugno 2017 – la Repubblica.it. Repubblica.it.
  31. Web site: Tosi oltre 3mila Solo tre candidati sopra i mille voti. Società Editrice Athesis. S.p.A. L'Arena.it.
  32. Web site: La rete di Berlusconi per la "Lega azzurra". C'è l'accordo con Tosi. LaStampa.it. 19 July 2017 .
  33. Web site: "Ora farò il civico di destra. La Lega? Non guidano loro". Antonio. Spadaccino. 19 July 2017. Corriere della Sera.
  34. Web site: Berlusconi imbarca Tosi e "perdona" Alfano: le mosse anti Salvini del Cav. Claudio. Perconte. 21 July 2017.
  35. Web site: Politica – Il Consigliere regionale Maurizio Conte presenta la nuova denominazione del gruppo consiliare. www.consiglioveneto.it.
  36. Web site: CRV – "Maurizio Conte presenta la nuova denominazione del gruppo consiliare" – Press Release – Veneto. 28 July 2017. ANSA.it.
  37. Web site: Referendum, parte la corsa E si accende lo scontro politico. Società Editrice Athesis. S.p.A. L'Arena.it.
  38. Web site: Camera, Roberto Caon aderisce a gruppo Fi: "I forzisti unica proposta credibile". 4 August 2017. Agorà24.
  39. Web site: Nasce "Noi con l'Italia", la lista dei centristi pro-Berlusconi. 19 December 2017. Repubblica.it.
  40. Web site: "Noi con l'Italia", ecco la quarta gamba del centrodestra: ex FI, leghisti espulsi e alfaniani pentiti. 19 December 2017. Il Fatto Quotidiano.
  41. Web site: Nasce Noi con l'Italia, la 'quarta gamba' del centrodestra. Francesco. Curridori. ilGiornale.it. 19 December 2017 .
  42. Web site: Udc-Noi con l'Italia, è accordo. Sulla lista torna lo scudo crociato. Affaritaliani.it.
  43. Web site: Nasce la stampella centrista di Forza Italia. Giuseppe Alberto. Falci. 30 December 2017. Corriere della Sera.
  44. Web site: Berlusconi si appella ai delusi dalla politica: "Sarà sfida coi 5 Stelle". Anna Maria. Greco. ilGiornale.it. 30 December 2017 .
  45. Web site: La tela Fitto-Cesa si allarga su 'Idea' di Gaetano Quagliariello. Affaritaliani.it.
  46. Web site: Saremo noi a garantire l'autosufficienza al centrodestra. Parla Gaetano Quagliariello. Redazione. 5 January 2018. Formiche.net.
  47. https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2022/06/15/verona-lex-leghista-flavio-tosi-entra-in-forza-italia-e-ora-per-sboarina-e-ancora-piu-difficile-rifiutare-il-suo-sostegno/6628081/ Verona, l’ex leghista Flavio Tosi entra in Forza Italia. E ora per Sboarina è ancora più difficile rifiutare il suo sostegno
  48. https://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/verona/politica/22_giugno_15/tosi-pronto-passarein-forza-italia-la-mia-coalizione-vuole-apparentarsi-34250594-ec78-11ec-b9cd-1916e4de7f09.shtml Flavio Tosi passa in Forza Italia: «La mia coalizione a Verona vuole apparentarsi» La telefonata di Berlusconi, la mail di Salvini, oggi l’incontro con Tajani: in ballo c’è il 23% dei voti. Il fedelissimo Bozza avverte: «Vogliamo un accordo chiaro e alla luce del sole»
  49. https://www.larena.it/territori/citta/tosi-tutte-le-sue-liste-vanno-in-forza-italia-pronti-all-accordo-1.9468164?refresh_ce Tutte le liste di Tosi in Forza Italia: «Non fare l'accordo con Sboarina? Impossibile»
  50. News: Tosi: "Tifo Renzi non Salvini". Antonio Rapisarda. Il Tempo. 28 January 2016. 15 March 2016. 17 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160317180320/http://www.iltempo.it/politica/2016/01/28/tosi-tifo-renzi-non-salvini-1.1502743. dead.
  51. Web site: Economia e Lavoro. Act!. 13 November 2015. 15 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160324141559/http://farecontosi.it/i-temi/economia-e-lavoro.html. 24 March 2016. dead.
  52. Web site: Buon Governo. Act!. 13 November 2015. 15 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160308104812/http://www.farecontosi.it/i-temi/buon-governo.html. 8 March 2016. dead.
  53. Web site: Giustizia. Act!. 13 November 2015. 15 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160308104827/http://www.farecontosi.it/i-temi/giustizia.html. 8 March 2016. dead.
  54. Web site: Italia-Europa. Act!. 13 November 2015. 15 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160309075552/http://www.farecontosi.it/i-temi/italia-europa.html. 9 March 2016. dead.
  55. Web site: Difesa Nazionale. Act!. 13 November 2015. 15 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160309075523/http://www.farecontosi.it/i-temi/difesa-nazionale.html. 9 March 2016. dead.

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