The New Pole for Italy (Italian: Nuovo Polo per l'Italia, NPI), better known as the Third Pole (Terzo Polo) and less frequently as Pole of the Nation (Polo della Nazione), was a centrist coalition of parties in Italy active from late 2010 to sometime in 2012. By January 2013, after Mario Monti had announced his intention to step in into politics, Future Italy and other groups formed Civic Choice with direct support from Monti. Subsequently, Civic Choice, UdC, and FLI joined forces in the With Monti for Italy coalition. The NPI was founded on 15 December 2010 both as an alternative to the centre-right coalition between The People of Freedom and Lega Nord led by Silvio Berlusconi, and to the centre-left coalition between the Democratic Party and Italy of Values led by Pier Luigi Bersani.[1][2]

New Pole for Italy
Nuovo Polo per l'Italia
LeadersPier Ferdinando Casini
Gianfranco Fini
Francesco Rutelli
Raffaele Lombardo
Founded15 November 2010
Dissolved8 May 2012
Succeeded byWith Monti for Italy (majority)
Political positionCentre

Most NPI members were former supporters of Berlusconi but there were also a relevant group of disillusioned Democrats. The constituent members of the coalition were the Union of the Centre led by Pier Ferdinando Casini, Future and Freedom led by Gianfranco Fini, Alliance for Italy led by Francesco Rutelli, and the Movement for the Autonomies led by Raffaele Lombardo. The NPI, which was never an electoral coalition, was disbanded sometime in 2012, after Casini announced that he was no longer interested in the project.[3][4][5] Rutelli's ApI even returned to the centre-left coalition and one of its members, Bruno Tabacci, decided to run in the 2012 Italian centre-left primary election.[6][7] In September 2012, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo announced that he would take part through his Future Italy association to the formation o a new "popular, reform and authentically liberal force", which would hegemonize the political centre of Italian politics, in dialogue with "responsible people" of the established parties.[8] Casini and Fini responded by proposing a joint "List for Italy" without party symbols.[9]

Composition

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Party Main ideology Leader
Union of the Centre (UdC) Christian democracy Pier Ferdinando Casini
Future and Freedom (FLI) Liberal conservatism Gianfranco Fini
Alliance for Italy (ApI) Centrism Francesco Rutelli
Movement for Autonomies (MpA) Regionalism Raffaele Lombardo
Italian Liberal Party (PLI) Liberalism Stefano De Luca

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Sala, Alessandro (15 December 2010). "Berlusconi punta ai 'delusi' Fini-Casini: nasce il Polo della Nazione". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). ISSN 2499-0485. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  2. ^ Garibaldi, Andrea (29 January 2011). "Fini: dimissioni? Opzione che non esiste. E Bossi invita ad 'abbassare i toni'". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). p. 11. ISSN 2499-0485. Archived from the original on 20 August 2012.
  3. ^ "Casini archivia il Terzo polo: è superato, macerie sui moderati". Il Messaggero (in Italian). 8 May 2012. ISSN 2499-3980. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  4. ^ Garibaldi, Andrea (10 May 2012). "Casini cambia strategia Tour (da solo) in 100 città". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). p. 8. ISSN 2499-0485. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  5. ^ Ferrara, Domenico (10 May 2012). "Casini archivia il Terzo Poloe scarica Gianfranco Fini". Il Giornale (in Italian). ISSN 2532-4071. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  6. ^ Fuccaro, Lorenzo (13 September 2012). "Tabacci: alle primarie rappresenterò i cattolici". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). p. 19. ISSN 2499-0485. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  7. ^ Fuccaro, Lorenzo (14 September 2012). "Rutelli rilancia l'ambientalismo per un 'nuovo' centrosinistra". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). p. 17. ISSN 2499-0485. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  8. ^ Cazzullo, Aldo (30 September 2012). "'In campo per un Monti bis'". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). p. 13. ISSN 2499-0485. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  9. ^ Fuccaro, Lorenzo (1 October 2012). "Monti bis, asse tra Casini e Fini. 'Una lista civica per l'Italia'". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). pp. 2–3. ISSN 2499-0485. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2024.

Further reading

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