Generation Italy

Generation Italy was launched in December 2009 by Italo Bocchino, deputy-leader of the PdL in the Chamber of Deputies, in order to better represent Fini's views within the party and push for a different party organisation, which was thought to be too dependent on Berlusconi's personality. Bocchino explained that it was not his intent or Fini's to undermine the party, while he wanted to promote internal democracy through debate and strengthen the party, especially in the North, where it had suffered a big blow from Lega Nord in 2010 regional elections.{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/marzo/15/Via_Generazione_Italia_nuova_associazione_co_9_100315008.shtml |title=Via a Generazione Italia la nuova associazione "benedetta" da Fini |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}}{{cite web|url=http://www.generazioneitalia.it/2010/04/01/pdl-nasce-generazione-italia-con-fini-non-contro-il-partito/ |title=Per le riforme e l’armonia. Sempre "per", mai "contro" | Generazione Italia |publisher=Generazioneitalia.it |date=2010-04-01 |accessdate=2011-11-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306000647/http://www.generazioneitalia.it/2010/04/01/pdl-nasce-generazione-italia-con-fini-non-contro-il-partito/ |archivedate=2012-03-06 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.generazioneitalia.it/2010/04/01/lidea/ |title=L’idea | Generazione Italia |publisher=Generazioneitalia.it |date=2010-04-01 |accessdate=2011-11-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306000711/http://www.generazioneitalia.it/2010/04/01/lidea/ |archivedate=2012-03-06 }} Despite this, however, the faction soon caused a major upheaval within the party. On 15 April Fini posed a sort of ultimatum to Berlusconi and hinted the formation of separate parliamentary groups from the PdL in Parliament.{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/aprile/16/premier_risponda_ore_Fini_Berlusconi_co_8_100416013.shtml |title="Il premier mi risponda in 48 ore" Fini e Berlusconi vicini al divorzio |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}} Some Finiani even proposed the formation of a new party outside the PdL.{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/aprile/19/Fini_prepara_battaglia_Conta_dei_co_8_100419030.shtml |title=Fini prepara la battaglia Conta dei suoi e documento |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}} After some tense days, it looked likely that Fini and his group would remain in the party as a minority faction.{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/aprile/20/Una_corrente_minoranza_Fini_prepara_co_8_100420018.shtml |title=Una corrente di minoranza Fini si prepara alla "terza via" |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}}

On 20 April 52 MPs (39 deputies and 13 senators) signed a document in support of Fini and his theses, while other 74 ex-AN MPs, including Ignazio La Russa, Maurizio Gasparri, Altero Matteoli and Giorgia Meloni, plus the Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno, signed an alternative document in which they reasserted their loyalty to the party and Berlusconi.{{cite web |url=http://lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/politica/201004articoli/54276girata.asp |title=Pdl, Fini forma la sua corrente "Berlusconi accetti il dissenso" |publisher=Lastampa.It |date=2010-04-20 |accessdate=2011-11-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819203251/http://lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/politica/201004articoli/54276girata.asp |archivedate=2011-08-19 }}{{cite web |url=http://lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/politica/201004articoli/54265girata.asp |title=E nasce un Correntone ex An contro Gianfranco |publisher=Lastampa.It |date=2010-04-20 |accessdate=2011-11-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819202714/http://lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/politica/201004articoli/54265girata.asp |archivedate=2011-08-19 }} It was the end of the unity of former AN members within the PdL, with most heavyweights of that party turning their back on their former leader. Fini, for his part, started attract to his faction some PdL members coming from various political backgrounds, from the former Radical Benedetto Della Vedova{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/aprile/17/Della_Vedova_seguirei_Fini_Mussolini_co_8_100417008.shtml |title=Della Vedova: seguirei Fini La Mussolini: riconciliazione |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}} to former Christian Democrats such as Giuseppe Pisanu.{{cite web|author=Di Francesco Bei |url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2010/04/21/news/il_cavaliere_chiude_la_porta_a_gianfranco_ha_perso_la_testa_si_faccia_il_suo_partito-3498369/ |title=Il Cavaliere chiude la porta a Gianfranco "Ha perso la testa, si faccia il suo partito" |publisher=Repubblica.it |date= |accessdate=2011-11-17}} On 22 April the National Committee of the PdL convened in Rome for the first time in a year. The conflict between Fini and Berlusconi was covered live by television. At the end of the day a resolution proposed by the party leadership was put before the assembly. The Finiani who voted against the resolution were 13 out of 172 members of the Committee: Roberta Angelilli, Andrea Augello, Italo Bocchino, Carmelo Briguglio, Cesare Cursi, Fabio Granata, Donato Lamorte, Silvano Moffa, Flavia Perina, Andrea Ronchi, Salvatore Tatarella, Adolfo Urso and Pasquale Viespoli.{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/aprile/23/sfida_del_cofondatore_Non_sono_co_8_100423002.shtml |title=La sfida del cofondatore "Non sono un dipendente Sarà lui a bruciarsi" |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}}

On 3 May Fini officially endorsed GI through a video message in the faction's website and encouraged his followers to form a network of GI circles all around Italy.{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/maggio/04/Sfida_Fini_via_circoli_Generazione_co_9_100504005.shtml |title=Sfida di Fini: via ai circoli di Generazione Italia |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}} In the meantime, group of moderate Finiani led by Augello and Moffa launched a group called Open Space, that included also some close supporters of Berlusconi coming from his former Forza Italia party, in order to distance themselves by the hardliners led by Bocchino and dialogue with Berlusconi, while the conservative supporters of Fini re-grouped themselves into National Area led by Roberto Menia and, again, Moffa.{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/maggio/06/Fini_Bossi_accordo_non_nessun_co_9_100506005.shtml |title=Fini e Bossi d' accordo: non c' è nessun complotto |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}}{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/maggio/14/Fini_organizza_niente_imboscate__co_9_100514005.shtml |title=Fini si organizza: "Ma niente imboscate" |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}} However, most Finiani, including Moffa and Menia chose to join also GI.

Since then, clashes between Fini and Berlusconi became even more frequent and reached their heights in late July, when Fini questioned the morality of some party bigwigs under criminal investigation.{{cite web|author=di Redazione - 26 luglio 2010, 22:59 |url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/interni/fini_chi_e_indagato_lasci_lincarico_le_leggi_non_servano_salvare_furbi/politica-pdl-berlusconi-fini-giustizia-granata-legalita-probiviri-dell_utri-cosentino-verdini/26-07-2010/articolo-id=463524-page=0-comments=1 |title=Fini: "Chi è indagato lasci l'incarico Le leggi non servano a salvare i furbi" - Interni |publisher=ilGiornale.it |date=2010-07-26 |accessdate=2011-11-17}} On 29 July 2010 the party executive released a document (voted by 33 members out of 37) in which Fini was described as "incompatible" with the political line of the PdL and unable to perform his job of President of the Chamber of Deputies in a neutral way. Berlusconi asked Fini to step down from his post and the executive proposed the suspension from party membership for three hard-liner Finiani (Italo Bocchino, Fabio Granata and Carmelo Briguglio) who had harshly criticized Berlusconi and accused some party members of criminal offences.{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2010/07/29/news/pdl_il_documento_dell_ufficio_di_presidenza-5938625/?ref=HREA-1 |title=Pdl, il documento dell'Ufficio di Presidenza |publisher=Repubblica.it |date= |accessdate=2011-11-17}} For both parts, this was the point of no turning back.

On 30 July Fini and his followers (33 deputies and 10 senators, at the time) organised separate groups both in the Chamber and the Senate under the name Future and Freedom (FLI).{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/luglio/31/Via_gruppi_finiani_Qualche_difficolta_co_8_100731003.shtml |title=Via ai gruppi finiani "Qualche difficoltà ma numeri importanti" |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}}{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/agosto/02/Finiani_pronto_gruppo_anche_Senato_co_9_100802014.shtml |title=Finiani, pronto il gruppo anche al Senato |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}} Only a minority of the deputies and senators coming from National Alliance followed their former long-time leader Fini into the new party, but enough to hold the balance in the Chamber of Deputies.{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2010/agosto/01/Previsioni_sbagliate_sui_numeri_nel_co_8_100801004.shtml |title=Previsioni sbagliate sui numeri: nel mirino le fedelissime |publisher=Archiviostorico.corriere.it |date=2009-12-24 |accessdate=2011-11-17}}{{cite web|url=http://www.economist.com/node/16743353 |title=Italy's political crisis: A FLI in his ear |publisher=The Economist |date=2010-08-05 |accessdate=2011-11-17}} GI was the core of the new parliamentary groups.

In the 2013 general election, FLI obtained 0.4% and no seats in the Chamber of Deputies. Both FLI and GI were disbanded soon after.

• Future and Freedom
• The People of Freedom

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.generazioneitalia.it/ Official website]

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{{Future and Freedom factions}}

Category:Organisations associated with The People of Freedom