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| name = Popular Alternative| native_name = Alternativa Popolare| logo = | leader = | founder = Angelino Alfano| leader1_title = President | leader1_name = Paolo Alli| leader2_title = Coordinator | leader2_name = Stefano Bandecchi| foundation = 18 March 2017| dissolution = | predecessor = New Centre-Right| successor =| headquarters = Via Arcione 71, RomeConservatismChristian democracyHTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM/BOOKS?ID=04TTEAAAQBAJ&DQ=POPULAR+ALTERNATIVE+2013+2018&PG=PA315YEAR=2021PUBLISHER=BOOKS ON DEMAND, 9783754355848, Centrism>CentreItaly's Former PM Renzi Loses More Allies as Election NearsAlfano says Torrisi must quit committee post or AP to Centre-right politicsHTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM/BOOKS?ID=EWGPEAAAQBAJ&DQ=POPULAR+ALTERNATIVE+ITALY+CENTRE-RIGHT+ALFANO&PG=RA3-PA2003YEAR=2021ISBN=9781544384733, Alfano 'not obliged' to tell Renzi he won't run for re-election | national = European People's Party}}| international = European People's Party Group>European People's PartyChamber of Deputies (Italy)>Chamber of Deputies0{{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}Senate of the Republic (Italy)>Senate0{{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}| seats3_title = European Parliament0{{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}Composition of Regional Councils of Italy>Regional Councils0hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}| seats5_title = | seats5 = | website = www.alternativapopolare.it| country = Italy}}Popular Alternative (, AP) is a Christian-democratic political party in Italy that was founded on 18 March 2017 after the dissolution of New Centre-Right (NCD),WEB,weblink Ncd finisce, nasce Alternativa Popolare – Politica, 18 March 2017, one of the two parties that emerged at the break-up of The People of Freedom (PdL, the main Italian centre-right party from 2008 to 2013). "Popular" is a reference to popolarismo, the Italian variety of Christian democracy. The party has been a member of the European People's Party (EPP) since its foundation, having inherited the membership of the NCD.The party's founder was Angelino Alfano, a former protége of Silvio Berlusconi and secretary of PdL (2011–2013) who has served as Minister of Justice (Berlusconi IV Cabinet, 2008–2011), Interior (Letta and Renzi Cabinets, 2013–2016) and Foreign Affairs (Gentiloni Cabinet, 2016–2018). In December 2017 Alfano announced that he would not stand in the 2018 general election and the party suffered the split of a large centre-right faction, whose members wanted to re-align with the centre-right coalition. The rump of the party continued its alliance with the Democratic Party, by formally entering the centre-left coalition, and, with Alfano's backing, Beatrice Lorenzin, Minister of Health since 2013, became AP's de facto leader.WEB,weblink Alleanza Popolare, Gentile neo coordinatore nazionale "Beatrice Lorenzin è la nostra leadership di riferimento", f.ridolfi, 17 December 2017, Il Quotidiano del Sud, In 2019, what remained of the party made a right-wing turn and formed an alliance with The People of Family.

History

Origins and background

In November 2013 The People of Freedom (PdL), the centre-right party led by Silvio Berlusconi, was transformed back into Forza Italia (FI). A group of dissidents, led by Angelino Alfano, opposed the move and launched the New Centre-Right (NCD).BOOK, Nicolas Bonnet, Silvo's Party, Agnès Alexandre-Collier, François Vergniolle De Chantal, Leadership and Uncertainty Management in Politics: Leaders, Followers and Constraints in Western Democracies,weblink 2015, Palgrave Macmillan, 978-1-137-43924-6, 105–106, Up to then, Alfano had been national secretary of the PdL and Berlusconi's protégé. Since its foundation, the NCD was part of the Italian governments successively led by Enrico Letta, Matteo Renzi and Paolo Gentiloni, all three members of the Democratic Party (PD), and Alfano served as Minister of the Interior and Foreign Affairs.

Foundation and early splits

On 18 March 2017 the NCD was dissolved into Popular Alternative (AP).WEB,weblink Ncd si scioglie, Alfano battezza "Alternativa Popolare", 18 March 2017, Alfano's aim was to build a centre-right alliance with FI, while being at odds with Lega Nord (LN) and the Brothers of Italy (FdI), deemed "populist".WEB,weblink Alfano, FI sta con lepenisti, centrodestra non-innovabile, Alfano also proposed a primary election to select the centre-right candidate for Prime Minister.WEB,weblink Ncd addio, Alfano lancia Alternativa popolare: primarie per la leadership, 18 March 2017, Virtually all NCD's leading members (including Maurizio Lupi, Roberto Formigoni, Beatrice Lorenzin, Fabrizio Cicchitto, Antonio Gentile, Gabriele Albertini, Laura Bianconi, Giovanni La Via and Francesco Colucci) followed Alfano in the new party, while Maurizio Sacconi joined Stefano Parisi's Energies for Italy (EpI).WEB,weblink Sacconi lascia Alfano e approda a Energie per l'Italia. Parisi: adesione strada altarnativa alla sinistra – ILFOGLIETTONE.ITILFOGLIETTONE.IT, ilfogliettone.it, 19 March 2017, WEB,weblink Sacconi si schiera con Parisi insieme in Energie per l'Italia – Regione – Il Mattino di Padova, 20 March 2017, WEB,weblink Nuovo polo in costruzione, gran traffico al centro (attorno a Parisi e Fitto), 20 March 2017, 21 March 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170320142640weblink">weblink 20 March 2017, dead, Since its foundation AP was abandoned by five deputies (four re-joining FI, one joining the PD) and four senators (one joining FI, another the FdI and two the Federation of Freedom, FdL), while two deputies switched from the Liberal Popular Alliance (ALA).WEB,weblink Camera.it – XVII Legislatura – Deputati e Organi Parlamentari – Composizione gruppi Parlamentari, camera.it, WEB,weblink senato.it – Senato della Repubblica senato.it – Variazioni nei Gruppi parlamentari, senato.it, One of the deputies who left the party was Enrico Costa, who also resigned as minister of Regional Affairs from Paolo Gentiloni's governmentWEB,weblink Governo, si è dimesso ministro Enrico Costa: "Niente ambiguità", 19 July 2017, WEB,weblink Enrico Costa si dimette: Gentiloni perde pezzi. L'ex ministro verso Forza Italia. Alfano: "Inevitabile e tardivo" – Il Fatto Quotidiano, 19 July 2017, WEB,weblink Perché si è dimesso il ministro Enrico Costa, centrista, tennista e non-palindromo, and aimed at forming a "liberal centre" with FI.WEB,weblink Costa lascia il governo Via al partito centrista che nasce contro Alfano, 20 July 2017,

Road to the 2018 general election

File:Lorenzin Governo.png|thumb|right|190px|Beatrice LorenzinBeatrice LorenzinIn the run-up of the 2018 general election AP, which was soundly defeated in the 2017 Sicilian regional election, was divided in three camps: those who wanted an alliance with the PD (Lorenzin and Cicchitto), those who proposed to run as a stand-alone list (Lupi) and those who were keen on returning with the centre-right coalition (Formigoni). The decision by the party's national board was postponed several times.WEB,weblink Andare da soli o allearsi con il Pd? Un'istruttoria per decidere. Alfano: "Se alleati, Renzi non sarà il nostro candidato premier" (di B. Acquaviti), 24 November 2017, L’Huffington Post, WEB,weblink Come si discute in Alternativa Popolare di Alfano su centrodestra e centrosinistra - Formiche.net, 6 December 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171207140336weblink">weblink 7 December 2017, dead, WEB,weblink Con Renzi, Berlusconi o da soli. La lotta per la sopravvivenza degli alfaniani, 4 December 2017, Linkiesta, WEB,weblink Ap, alfaniani spaccati in tre. Verso una doppia scissione. Tutti i nomi, Affaritaliani.it, 5 December 2017, In the meantime, Alfano announced that he would not stand in the election.WEB,weblink Elezioni, Alfano: "Non mi ricandido. Ma non lascio la politica", Franco, Stefanoni, 12 June 2017, Corriere della Sera, WEB,weblink Elezioni, Angelino Alfano: "Non mi ricandiderò in parlamento e non sarò ministro. Renzi? Non ci ho parlato", 6 December 2017, Il Fatto Quotidiano, On 12 December 2017 AP's national board approved a consent settlement, under which the two parliamentary groups would continue to be active in order to prepare the electoral participation of the two main factions: the one led by Lorenzin and Cicchitto (backed by Alfano) with the centre-left (under the "Popular Alternative" name), the one led by Lupi and Formigoni with the centre-right (reviving the "New Centre-Right" banner).NEWS,weblink Alternativa Popolare, il partito si scioglie: "È una separazione consensuale". Per ora i gruppi parlamentari restano uniti – Il Fatto Quotidiano, 12 December 2017, Il Fatto Quotidiano, 12 December 2017, it-IT, WEB,weblink Alternativa Popolare, 'separati in casa' fino a fine legislatura, 12 December 2017, www.ilgiornale.it, A few days later Gentile replaced Lupi as coordinator.WEB,weblink Antonio Gentile nuovo coordinatore nazionale di Ap, 17 December 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171222053037weblink">weblink 22 December 2017, dead, On 19 December the group around Lupi and the former AP members close to Costa formed Us with Italy (NcI), a pro-Berlusconi centrist electoral list within the centre-right coalition, along with Direction Italy (DI), Civic Choice (SC), Act! (F!), Cantiere Popolare (CP) and the Movement for the Autonomies (MpA).WEB,weblink Nasce "Noi con l'Italia", la lista dei centristi pro-Berlusconi, 19 December 2017, Repubblica.it, WEB,weblink "Noi con l'Italia", ecco la quarta gamba del centrodestra: ex FI, leghisti espulsi e alfaniani pentiti, 19 December 2017, Il Fatto Quotidiano, WEB,weblink Nasce Noi con l'Italia, la 'quarta gamba' del centrodestra, Francesco, Curridori, ilGiornale.it, 19 December 2017, The list was later enlarged to the Union of the Centre (UdC)WEB,weblink Udc-Noi con l'Italia, è accordo. Sulla lista torna lo scudo crociato, Affaritaliani.it, 29 December 2017, WEB,weblink Nasce la stampella centrista di Forza Italia, Giuseppe Alberto, Falci, 30 December 2017, Corriere della Sera, WEB,weblink Berlusconi si appella ai delusi dalla politica: "Sarà sfida coi 5 Stelle", Anna Maria, Greco, ilGiornale.it, 30 December 2017, and Identity and Action (IdeA),WEB,weblink La tela Fitto-Cesa si allarga su 'Idea' di Gaetano Quagliariello, Affaritaliani.it, 5 January 2018, WEB,weblink Saremo noi a garantire l'autosufficienza al centrodestra. Parla Gaetano Quagliariello, Redazione, 5 January 2018, Formiche.net, with the goal of overcoming the 3% threshold under a new electoral law.On 29 December AP formed the Popular Civic List (CP), a centrist electoral list within the centre-left coalition, along with Italy of Values (IdV), the Centrists for Europe (CpE), Solidary Democracy (DemoS), the Union for Trentino (UpT), Italy is Popular (IP) and minor parties/groups, and Lorenzin was chosen as leader.WEB,weblink Elezioni, Renzi attacca "l'innaturale alleanza popolari-populisti". Orlando chiede scelte condivise, 29 December 2017, Repubblica.it, NEWS,weblink Centrosinistra, c'è anche il terzo mini-alleato del Pd: Civica Popolare guidata dalla Lorenzin. Simbolo? Una margherita – Il Fatto Quotidiano, 29 December 2017, Il Fatto Quotidiano, 1 January 2018, it-IT, WEB,weblink Nasce "Civica Popolare", lista centrista alleata con il Pd: Lorenzin alla guida, Il Sole 24 ORE, 29 December 2017, Contextually, Gentile stepped down from coordinator and announced his return to FI, while continuing to serve as undersecretary in Gentiloni's government.NEWS,weblink Antonio Gentile, il sottosegretario lascia Ap e vota Forza Italia. "Ma resta al governo. Indecoroso spettacolo" – Il Fatto Quotidiano, 31 December 2017, Il Fatto Quotidiano, 1 January 2018, it-IT,

2018 general election and decline

CP obtained a mere 0.5%, but the rump of AP, led by Lorenzin, had two elects to the Chamber from single-seat constituencies: Lorenzin herself and Gabriele Toccafondi. NcI scored a little better with 1.3% of the vote and a handful of former AP members, notably including Lupi, were elected in single-seat constituencies.In September 2018 Alfano stepped down from AP presidency and was replaced by Paolo Alli.In the run-up to the 2019 European Parliament election the party formed a joint list with The People of Family,WEB,weblinkweblink dead, 3 September 2019, Presentato il simbolo AP per le elezioni europee 2019, 7 April 2019, WEB,weblink Europee 2019, i simboli uno per uno, WEB,weblink Europee, tra i simboli spunta il Pci e quello del partito di Alfano. l'Esperto: "Incredibile", 7 April 2019, a social-conservative party. However, the party was deeply fractured, as Lorenzin seemed to be supportive of the PD,WEB,weblink On. Beatrice Lorenzin (Civica Popolare): Pd, buon lavoro a tutta la nuova squadra verso una nuova idea d'Europa - Agenpress, 5 May 2019, 5 May 2019,weblink dead, WEB,weblink Spagna: Lorenzin (Civica popolare), i sovranisti si possono battere, while former spokesperson Valentina Castaldini stood as candidate for FI.WEB,weblink Forza Italia, liste candidati Europee 2019/ Berlusconi, "torno in campo", 17 April 2019, In September 2019 Lorenzin joined the PD,La scelta di Lorenzin: “Entro nel Pd”Beatrice Lorenzin entrerà nel Partito Democratico while Toccafondi was a founding member of Renzi's Italia Viva party, thus leaving the party with no representatives in Parliament.Partito di Renzi, ecco la lista dei 40 deputati e senatori che passano a Italia Viva«Italia Viva»: la lista dei (primi) 41 parlamentari che seguono RenziIn June 2022 entrepreneur Stefano Bandecchi was appointed coordinator of the party, a post previously held by Lorenzin.WEB,weblink Stefano Bandecchi, Coordinatore Nazionale di Alternativa Popolare, "La mia storia è la mia testimone" | Alternativa Popolare, In the 2023 Italian local elections Bandecchi was elected mayor of Terni, by beating the FdI candidate in all centre-right run-off.WEB,weblink Terni, Bandecchi eletto sindaco con il 54,6%. Il patron della Ternana: "Un grande onore", 29 May 2023, In the following years, Bandecchi became quite notorious on national stage, due to his controversial and populist statements.

Ideology and factions

The party's ideology is that of the NCD, as the former is the perfect continuation of the latter. Despite being home to some social democrats (Reformism and Freedom, We Reformers), the party was mainly a Christian-democratic party with a social-conservative streak. According to Corriere della Sera, differently from FI, NCD's stances on the "so-called ethical issues" (abortion, LGBT rights, etc.) were "closer to those of the European traditionalist right" and "thus not very compatible with those of the EPP's parties in big countries such as (Germany)".WEB,weblink Pd-azzurri: asse sui diritti (senza Ncd), Corriere della Sera, 20 February 2014, However, the party voted in favor of civil unions, whereas most FI members voted against it.WEB,weblink Unioni civili sono legge: M5s si astiene. Lega e Fdi contro. Renzi: "E' un giorno di festa". Le destre: "Referendum", 11 May 2016, Il Fatto Quotidiano, The NCD was also criticised by some Catholic associations for not opposing enough the teaching of gender studies in schools.WEB,weblink GENDER A SCUOLA: NELLA RIFORMA IL TRUCCO C'E' MA NON SI VEDE, 27 June 2015, In addition, the NCD, as part of centre-left governments, proved more progressive than FI on the management of illegal immigration, which was negatively evaluated by Berlusconi's party.WEB,weblink Migranti, Berlusconi: "Un accordo con la Libia è l'unica soluzione", Giovanni, Neve, ilGiornale.it, 27 July 2017, Precisely for these and other reasons, several NCD politicians left the party to either form Identity and Action (IdeA) led by Gaetano Quagliariello or re-joined FI (e.g. Nunzia De Girolamo, Renato Schifani and Massimiliano Salini),WEB,weblink ADDIO NCD/ Massimiliano Salini lascia Lupi e torna in Forza Italia, 25 September 2015, in both cases re-aligning with the FI-led centre-right coalition.WEB,weblink Renato Schifani torna in Forza Italia, LaStampa.it, 4 August 2016, Some of the formerly NCD-affiliated factions or think tanks are now affiliated to AP:

• Network Italy (Rete Italia)WEB,weblink Il clan politico di Cl si attovaglia per spartirsi la torta dell'Expo, Mentiinformatiche.com, 21 January 2014, 20 February 2014, – ideology: Christian democracy; leader: Roberto Formigoni;
• Christian Populars (Cristiano Popolari)WEB,weblink Federazione Cristiano Popolari, l'on.Baccini ad Avellino per il nuovo Centrodestra, it, Irpinia24.it, 21 February 2013, 20 February 2014, – ideology: Christian democracy; leader: Mario Baccini;
• Christian Reformists (Cristiano Riformisti) – ideology: Christian democracy; leader: Antonio Mazzocchi;
• Reformism and Freedom (Riformismo e Libertà) – ideology: Social democracy; leader: Fabrizio Cicchitto;
• We Reformers (Noi Riformatori)WEB,weblink Noi Riformatori Per Il Nuovo Centrodestra, Noiriformatori.it, 20 February 2014, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131218101705weblink">weblink 18 December 2013, – ideology: Social democracy; leader: Francesco Colucci.

{{New Centre-Right factions}}

Electoral results

Italian Parliament{| class"wikitable" style"width:50%; border:1px #aaf solid;"

Chamber of Deputies! style="width:13%;"|Election year! style="width:16%;"|Votes! width=6%|% ! width=1%|Seats! width=8%|+/−! style="width:18%;"|Leader! 2018Popular Civic List>Popular Civic| 0.542hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}Beatrice Lorenzin}}{| class="wikitable" style="width:50%; border:1px #aaf solid;"Senate of the Republic! style="width:13%;"|Election year! style="width:16%;"|Votes! width=6%|% ! width=1%|Seats! width=8%|+/−! style="width:18%;"|Leader! 2018Popular Civic List>Popular Civic| 0.520hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}Beatrice Lorenzin}}European Parliament">

European Parliament{| classwikitable style"width:50%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"European Parliament

! width=13%|Election year! width=16%|Votes! width=6%|% ! width=1%|Seats! width=8%|+/–! width=18%|Leader! 2019In a joint list with The People of Family.}}| 0.430hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}Paolo Alli}}{{notelist}}">

Regional Councils{| class"wikitable" style"width:50%; border:1px #aaf solid;"

! style="width:19%;"|Region! style="width:13%;"|Election year! style="width:16%;"|Votes! width=7%|% ! width=1%|Seats! width=6%|+/−! Aosta Valley! 2018| {{N/A}}| {{N/A}}0hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Piedmont! 2014name=fn1Union of the Centre (2002)>Union of the Centre.}}| 3.50hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Lombardy! 2018name=fn2|Into Popular Civic List.}}| 0.40hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! South Tyrol! 2018| {{N/A}}| {{N/A}}0hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Trentino! 2018| {{N/A}}| {{N/A}}0hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Veneto! 2015| 37,937 (10th)| 2.01hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}{{increase}} 1}}! Friuli-Venezia Giulia! 2018| {{N/A}}| {{N/A}}0hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Emilia-Romagna! 2014name=fn1}}| 2.60hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Liguria! 2015| 9,269 (8th)| 1.71hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}{{increase}} 1}}! Tuscany! 2015| 15,837 (8th)| 1.20hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Marche! 2015| 21,049 (7th)| 4.01hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}{{increase}} 1}}! Umbria! 2015| 9,285 (9th)| 2.60hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Lazio! 2018name=fn2}}| 0.20hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Abruzzo! 2019| {{N/A}}| {{N/A}}0hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Molise! 2018| {{N/A}}| {{N/A}}0hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Campania! 2015| 133,753 (5th)| 5.91hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}{{increase}} 1}}! Apulia! 2015| 101,817 (7th)| 6.43hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}{{increase}} 3}}! Basilicata! 2019| {{N/A}}| {{N/A}} 0hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Calabria! 2014| 47,574 (6th)| 6.13hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}{{increase}} 3}}! Sardinia! 2019| {{N/A}}| {{N/A}}0hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}! Sicily! 2017| 80,366 (10th)| 4.20hex={{party color|Popular Alternative}}}}–}}{{notelist}}

Leadership

• President: Angelino Alfano (2017–2018), Paolo Alli (2018–present)
  • Coordinator: Maurizio Lupi (2017), Antonio Gentile (2017), Beatrice Lorenzin (2018–2019), Stefano Bandecchi (2022–present)
  • Spokesperson: Valentina Castaldini (2017–2019)
• Party Leader in the Chamber of Deputies: Maurizio Lupi (2017–2018), Beatrice Lorenzin (2018–2019), Gianluca Rospi (2020–2021), Giorgio Silli (2021)
• Party Leader in the Senate: Laura Bianconi (2017–2018), Tiiziana Drago (2020–2021)
• Party Leader in the European Parliament: Giovanni La Via (2017–2018)

References

{{Reflist}}{{Italian political parties}}