Southern Action League
Encyclopedia
The Southern Action League (Lega d'Azione Meridionale, LAM) is a regionalist
national-conservative
Italian political party active in Apulia
and especially in the Province of Taranto
.
Its leader Giancarlo Cito, former member of the post-fascist
Italian Social Movement
(from which he was expelled for his extreme views) and fierce anti-Lega Nord campaigner, was Mayor of Taranto
from 1993 to 1997. The party was represented in the Chamber of Deputies
from 1994 to 1996 by Pietro Cerullo, who was elected in the sigle-seat constituency of Taranto in a close three-horse race, and from 1996 to 2001 by Giancarlo Cito himself, who took 45.9% of the votes in Taranto, beating by a large margin a centre-left
candidate and Cerullo, who had left the party to join the Federalists and Liberal Democrats
and later Forza Italia
. In that occasion the party came close to winning its second seat in the Chamber.
The party suffered several setbacks since 2001 (when Cito won only 13.9% of the votes in his constituency and failed to be re-elected): between 2003 and 2007, Cito was convicted for Mafia
crimes and the party seemed almost completely over. In 2007 anyway the party had a resurgence in the municipal election of Taranto, when Mario Cito, son of Giancarlo, won 20.2% of the votes as candidate for Mayor.
In the 2009 provincial election of Taranto
the party won 10.6% of the vote.
Regionalism (politics)
Regionalism is a term used in international relations. Regionalism also constitutes one of the three constituents of the international commercial system...
national-conservative
National conservatism
National conservatism is a political term used primarily in Europe to describe a variant of conservatism which concentrates more on national interests than standard conservatism as well as upholding cultural and ethnic identity, while not being outspokenly nationalist or supporting a far-right...
Italian political party active in Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
and especially in the Province of Taranto
Province of Taranto
The Province of Taranto is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Taranto.It has an area of 2,437 km², and a total population of 580,588...
.
Its leader Giancarlo Cito, former member of the post-fascist
Neo-Fascism
Neo-fascism is a post–World War II ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. The term neo-fascist may apply to groups that express a specific admiration for Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism or any other fascist leader/state...
Italian Social Movement
Italian Social Movement
The Italian Social Movement , and later the Italian Social Movement–National Right , was a neo-fascist and post-fascist political party in Italy. Formed in 1946 by supporters of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the party became the fourth largest party in Italy by the early 1960s...
(from which he was expelled for his extreme views) and fierce anti-Lega Nord campaigner, was Mayor of Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
from 1993 to 1997. The party was represented in the Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
from 1994 to 1996 by Pietro Cerullo, who was elected in the sigle-seat constituency of Taranto in a close three-horse race, and from 1996 to 2001 by Giancarlo Cito himself, who took 45.9% of the votes in Taranto, beating by a large margin a centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
candidate and Cerullo, who had left the party to join the Federalists and Liberal Democrats
Federalists and Liberal Democrats
The Federalists and Liberal Democrats was a federalist and liberal Italian political party.-History:...
and later Forza Italia
Forza Italia
Forza Italia was a liberal-conservative, Christian democratic, and liberal political party in Italy, with a large social democratic minority, that was led by Silvio Berlusconi, four times Prime Minister of Italy....
. In that occasion the party came close to winning its second seat in the Chamber.
The party suffered several setbacks since 2001 (when Cito won only 13.9% of the votes in his constituency and failed to be re-elected): between 2003 and 2007, Cito was convicted for Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
crimes and the party seemed almost completely over. In 2007 anyway the party had a resurgence in the municipal election of Taranto, when Mario Cito, son of Giancarlo, won 20.2% of the votes as candidate for Mayor.
In the 2009 provincial election of Taranto
Province of Taranto
The Province of Taranto is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Taranto.It has an area of 2,437 km², and a total population of 580,588...
the party won 10.6% of the vote.