Italy First (political party)

Italy First was launched as a "political association" in October 2013 by Gianni Alemanno, a former mayor of Rome (2008–2013) for the PdL.{{cite web|author=14 ottobre 2013 |url=http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/servizio/2013-10-14/in-pista-prima-italia-alemanno-chiama-raccolta-delusi-centrodestra--122619.shtml |title=In pista "Prima l'Italia", Alemanno chiama a raccolta i delusi del centrodestra |publisher=Il Sole 24 ORE |date= |accessdate=18 July 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ilmessaggero.it/primopiano/politica/alemanno_prima_l39italia_movimento_crisi_paese_adriano/notizie/339064.shtml |title=Alemanno lancia Prima l'Italia: "Recuperiamo identità per uscire dalla crisi" - Il Messaggero |publisher=Ilmessaggero.it |date=16 June 2014 |accessdate=18 July 2014}} A long-time politician of the Italian Social Movement (MSI) and National Alliance (AN), within which he led the Social Right faction, Alemanno had left the PdL a few days earlier.{{cite web|url=http://www.ilmessaggero.it/primopiano/politica/gianni_alemanno_pdl_officina_per_litalia/notizie/336663.shtml |title=Alemanno dice addio al Pdl: "Mercoledì aderisco a Officina per l'Italia" - Il Messaggero |publisher=Ilmessaggero.it |date=16 June 2014 |accessdate=18 July 2014}}

The founding manifesto of Italy First included criticism of the PdL, its participation in the European People's Party and its compliance to Europeanism and economic liberalism.{{Cite web |url=http://www.fondazionenuovaitalia.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DOCUMENTO-PRIMA-lITALIA.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=12 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112170627/http://www.fondazionenuovaitalia.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DOCUMENTO-PRIMA-lITALIA.pdf |archive-date=12 November 2013 |url-status=dead }} One of the first political campaigns of the new party was against the euro currency.{{cite web|url=http://www.activism.com/it_IT/petizione/nuove-regole-in-europa-o-l-italia-esce-dall-euro/45765 |title=NUOVE REGOLE IN EUROPA O L'ITALIA ESCE DALL'EURO - Activism - Petizioni Online |publisher=Activism |date= |accessdate=18 July 2014}}

Soon after its foundation, Italy First participated in the process of enlargement of FdI, a party led by Giorgia Meloni, through the "Workshop for Italy"{{cite web|url=http://www.officinaperlitalia.com/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26view%3Dcategory%26layout%3Dblog%26id%3D13%26Itemid%3D124 |title=Chi Siamo |accessdate=5 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111143759/http://www.officinaperlitalia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=13&Itemid=124 |archivedate=11 November 2013 }} and was finally integrated into FdI in March 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.formiche.net/2014/03/09/conservatore-rivoluzionario-ecco-il-partito-della-nazione-giorgia-meloni/ |title=Ecco programma e fini (anti euro) del Partito della Nazione di Giorgia Meloni |publisher=Formiche |date= 9 March 2014|accessdate=18 July 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.primalitalia.net/a-fiuggi-la-casa-comune-della-destra-per-fare-il-partito-della-nazione/ |title=A Fiuggi La Casa Comune Della Destra Per Fare Il Partito Della Nazione | Prima L'Italia |publisher=Primalitalia.net |date=13 February 2014 |accessdate=18 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310173729/http://www.primalitalia.net/a-fiuggi-la-casa-comune-della-destra-per-fare-il-partito-della-nazione/ |archivedate=10 March 2014 }} Italy First thus became a faction within FdI and Alemanno was one of the party's leading candidates in the 2014 European Parliament election: he obtained almost 45,000 personal votes in the South,{{Cite web|url=https://elezionistorico.interno.gov.it/candidati.php?tpel=E&dtel=25/05/2014&tpa=I&tpe=I&lev0=0&levsut0=0&lev1=4&levsut1=1&ne1=4&es0=S&es1=S&ms=S&ne=4&nlg=4&ts=C&ccp=11111|title=Dipartimento per gli Affari Interni e Territoriali|website=elezionistorico.interno.gov.it}} but was not elected to the European Parliament as FdI was below the 4% national threshold.

In December 2014 Alemanno, who was mired in a scandal related to his tenure as mayor of Rome, and, consequently, Italy First left FdI.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ilmessaggero.it/roma/cronaca/alemanno_roma_mafia_ho_sbagliato-733807.html|title=Mafia a Roma, Alemanno: "Ho sbagliato nella scelta della squadra"|website=www.ilmessaggero.it|date=4 December 2014 }}

In October 2015, during an assembly of the "National Alliance Foundation" (the association in charge of administering the assets of the defunct party), Alemanno and his supporters, who wanted to form a larger right-wing party (including FdI), lost a vote on the entitlement of AN's symbol over the representatives of FdI, supported by former AN heavyweights who had remained in the PdL. As a result, Alemanno announced that he would create a "Movement for the United Right".{{Cite web|url=http://archivio.corriere.it/Archivio/interface/landing.html|title=Archivio Corriere della Sera|website=archivio.corriere.it}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.it/2015/10/05/an-meloni-sconfigge-alemanno-fini_n_8242638.html|title=Meloni si tiene il simbolo di An|date=5 October 2015|website=L'HuffPost}} That "movement" is National Action (AN), which was formed on 9 November 2015 by a group of former AN members, who had joined forces with Alemanno during the Foundation's assembly.

• President: Gianni Alemanno (2013–2015)
• Secretary: Francesco Biava (2013–2015)

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.primalitalia.net/ Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20131107164215/http://www.primalitalia.net/ |date=7 November 2013 }} (since January 2016 the website redirects to National Action's official website)

{{Italian political parties}}

Category:Defunct political parties in Italy

Category:Political parties established in 2013

Category:National conservative parties

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