The Sardinian Action Party (Sardinian: Partidu Sardu, Italian: Partito Sardo d'Azione, PSd'Az or PSdA) is a Sardinian nationalist, regionalist[8] and separatist[9] political party in Sardinia. While being traditionally part of the Sardinian centre-left, the party has also sided with the centre-right coalition and, more recently, with the League.
 | |
| Secretary | Christian Solinas |
| President | Antonio Moro |
| Founder | Emilio Lussu |
| Founded | 17 April 1921 |
| Headquarters | Viale Regina Margherita 6, Cagliari |
| Newspaper | Il Solco |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Right-wing[6] Historical: Centre-left |
| National affiliation | Political party: League Coalition: Centre-right coalition |
| European affiliation | European Free Alliance (1981–2020, expelled)[7] |
| Colours | Black Red |
| Chamber of Deputies | 0 / 400 |
| Senate | 0 / 200 |
| European Parliament | 0 / 73 |
| Regional Council of Sardinia | 1 / 60 |
| Conference of Regions | 0 / 21 |
| Party flag | |
.svg) | |
| Website | |
| www.psdaz.net | |
The PSd'Az is one of the oldest stateless nationalist parties active in Europe that promotes autonomy towards the ideal of independence.[10][11] As such, the party was a founding member of the European Free Alliance in 1984,[12][13] but was expelled in 2020 because of its alliance with the League.[7][14]
Christian Solinas, who has led the party since 2015, was elected senator in the 2018 general election and President of Sardinia in the 2019 regional election, the first Sardist to do so since Mario Melis in 1984–1989.
History edit
The party was founded in April 1921. However, it was soon banned under fascism. The party was re-organized after World War II by Emilio Lussu, secretary for Southern Italy of the Action Party during the war, and other veterans from the Sassari brigade and anti-fascists,[12][15] a social-democratic group of the Italian resistance movement. Lussu left the party in 1948 to found the short-lived Sardinian Socialist Action Party (PSd'AzS), which joined the Italian Socialist Party in 1949, along with many other PSd'Az members.[12][16] Consequently, the PSd'Az started to cooperate with Christian Democracy and was quite a stable until the 1980s.[12]
The PSd'Az and the PSd'AzS won 10.5% and 6.6% respectively in the first regional election in 1949.[12]
After a decline in term of votes in the 1960s and 1970s, the party re-gained strength in the 1980s (13.8% in 1984 and 12.4% in 1989). Following these results, Sardist Mario Melis was President of Sardinia between 1984 and 1989 at the head of a five-party coalition composed also by the Italian Communist Party, the Italian Socialist Party, the Italian Democratic Socialist Party and the Italian Republican Party. This was the highest point in party history: the PSd'Az was represented in the Italian Parliament from 1983 to 1994, and Melis was a MEP for the Rainbow Group from 1989 to 1994.[17]
The party was affiliated to The Olive Tree during the 1996 general election.[18] However, the party congress rejected a continuation of the alliance ahead the 2001 general election.[19]
In the 2004 Sardinian regional election, the PSd'Az won 3.9% of the vote and 2 regional councillors.
In the 2006 general election, leader Giacomo Sanna, due to an electoral pact named Pact for the Autonomies, was a candidate of the Northern League (LN) for the Senate in Lombardy, but failed to get elected.
The party ran by itself in the 2008 general election, winning a mere 1.5% in the Region.[20]
In the 2009 regional election, the PSd'Az joined the centre-right coalition, provoking the split of the party's left that formed the Red Moors.[12] Cappellacci won and the PSd'Az won 4.3% of the vote (having its strongholds in the traditionally left-wing Provinces of Nuoro and Carbonia-Iglesias, where it gained 7.5 and 7.1%, respectively)[21] and four regional councillors plus one (Giacomo Sanna) elected in Cappellacci's regional list.[22] The Red Moors won 2.5% and one councillor. In the 2010 provincial elections the party was strongest in Nuoro (12.8%), Sassari (6.9%), Olbia-Tempio (6.7%) and Cagliari (6.4%).[23]
In 2013, the PSd'Az broke with Cappellacci and the centre-right,[24] but re-joined the coalition in time for the 2014 regional election. In the election, Cappellacci was defeated and the PSd'Az won 4.7% of the vote and two regional councillors.[25]
In the run-up of the 2018 general election, the party formed once again an electoral pact with the Northern League,[26][27][28][29] which presented itself as "League" all around the country. The alliance managed to get 10.8% of the vote and Christian Solinas, leader of the PSd'Az, was elected to the Senate,[30] while Guido De Martini, a local activist of the League,[31] was elected to the Chamber. This marked the return of the PSd'Az to the Italian Parliament after 22 years.[32] In August 2018, the party was suspended from the European Free Alliance because of its alliance with the League.[33]
In the 2019 regional election Solinas was elected President of Sardinia with 47.8% of the vote, while the PSd'Az won 9.9%.
In the 2024 regional election Solinas did not stand for re-election and the centre-right lost the election, with the PSd'Az reduced to 5.4% and three regional councillors. After the election, Solinas was re-elected as its leader during a congress.[34][35] As a result, two regional councillors out of three left the party.[36][37]
Popular support edit
The party has failed to regain the electoral support it enjoyed upon its foundation (e.g. 36% of the popular vote in 1921 general election).[38]
The party has been mostly marginal in the Sardinan political scene since the post-war period and this marginalisation has increased with the Italian establishment of a bipolar political system in the 1990s.[39]
The electoral results of the PSd'Az in regional and Chamber of Deputies elections in Sardinia since 1946 are shown in the chart below. For 1953 only the regional election's result is shown. In the general elections of 1972, 1976, 1979 and 2006 the party did not run lists for the Chamber of Deputies.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Electoral results edit
Regional Council of Sardinia edit
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 60,525 | 10.4 | 7 / 60 |  7 | Piero Soggiu |
| 1953 | 43,215 | 7.0 | 4 / 65 |  3 | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1957 | 40,214 | 6.0 | 5 / 70 | 1 | Pietro Mastino |
| 1961 | 50,039 (with PRI) | 7.2 | 5 / 72 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1965 | 44,621 (with PRI) | 6.4 | 5 / 72 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1969 | 33,220 | 4.4 | 3 / 74 | 2 | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1974 | 24,780 | 3.1 | 1 / 75 | 2 | Michele Columbu |
| 1979 | 30,238 | 3.3 | 3 / 80 | 2 | Carlo Sanna |
| 1984 | 136,720 | 13.8 | 12 / 81 | 9 | Carlo Sanna |
| 1989 | 128,025 | 12.4 | 10 / 80 | 2 | Carlo Sanna |
| 1994 | 47,000 | 5.1 | 4 / 64 | 6 | Giancarlo Acciaro |
| 1999 | 38,422 | 4.5 | 3 / 64 | 1 | Antonio Delitala |
| 2004 | 32,859 | 3.9 | 3 / 85 | – | Giacomo Sanna |
| 2009 | 35,428 | 4.3 | 4 / 80 | 1 | Giovanni Colli |
| 2014 | 31,886 | 4.7 | 3 / 60 | 1 | Giovanni Colli |
| 2019 | 69,964 | 9.9 | 8 / 60 | 5 | |
| 2024 | 37,341 | 5.4 | 3 / 60 | 6 |
Italian Parliament edit
| Chamber of Deputies | |||||
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 35,108 | 0.53 | 4 / 535 | – | Camillo Bellieni |
| 1924 | 24,059 | 0.34 | 2 / 535 | 2 | Salvatore Sale |
| 1946 | 78,554 | 0.34 | 2 / 556 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1948 | 61,928 | 0.24 | 1 / 574 | 1 | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1953 | 27,231 | 0.10 | 0 / 590 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1958 | 173,227 (with MC–PCd'I) | 0.59 | 0 / 596 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1968 | 27,228 | 0.09 | 0 / 630 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1979 | 17,673 | 0.05 | 0 / 630 | – | Carlo Sanna |
| 1983 | 91,923 | 0.25 | 1 / 630 | 1 | Carlo Sanna |
| 1987 | 169,978 | 0.44 | 2 / 630 | 1 | Carlo Sanna |
| 1992 | 154,621 (with Federalism) | 0.39 | 1 / 630 | 1 | Giorgio Ladu |
| 1996 | 38,002 | 0.10 | 0 / 630 | 1 | Lorenzo Palermo |
| 2001 | 34,412 (with SN) | 0.09 | 0 / 630 | – | Giacomo Sanna |
| 2006 | Into LN–MpA | – | 0 / 630 | – | Giacomo Sanna |
| 2008 | 14,856 | 0.04 | 0 / 630 | – | Efisio Trincas |
| 2013 | 18,585 | 0.05 | 0 / 630 | – | Giovanni Colli |
| 2018 | Into Lega Nord | – | 0 / 630 | – | |
| 2022 | Into Lega | – | 0 / 315 | – | |
| Senate of the Republic | |||||
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 65,743 | 0.29 | 1 / 237 | 1 | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1953 | 34,484 | 0.14 | 0 / 237 | 1 | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1958 | 45,952 | 0.18 | 0 / 246 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1963 | 34,954 | 0.13 | 0 / 315 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1968 | 25,891 | 0.09 | 0 / 315 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1972 | 189,534 (with PCI–PSIUP) | 0.63 | 0 / 315 | – | Giovanni Battista Melis |
| 1979 | 15,766 | 0.05 | 0 / 315 | – | Carlo Sanna |
| 1983 | 76,797 | 0.25 | 1 / 315 | 1 | Carlo Sanna |
| 1987 | 124,266 | 0.38 | 1 / 315 | – | Carlo Sanna |
| 1992 | 174,713 (with Federalism) | 0.52 | 0 / 315 | 1 | Giorgio Ladu |
| 1994 | 88,225 | 0.27 | 0 / 315 | – | Giancarlo Acciaro |
| 1996 | 421,331 (with The Olive Tree) | 1.19 | 1 / 315 | 1 | Lorenzo Palermo |
| 2001 | 32,822 (with SN) | 0.10 | 0 / 315 | 1 | Giacomo Sanna |
| 2006 | 16,733 | 0.06 | 0 / 315 | – | Giacomo Sanna |
| 2008 | 15,292 | 0.05 | 0 / 315 | – | Efisio Trincas |
| 2013 | 18,602 | 0.06 | 0 / 315 | – | Giovanni Colli |
| 2018 | Into Lega Nord | – | 1 / 315 | 1 | |
| 2022 | Into Lega | – | 0 / 315 | 1 | |
European Parliament edit
| European Parliament | |||||
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 193,430 (with UV) | 0.55 | 1 / 81 | 1 | Carlo Sanna |
| 1989 | 207,739 (with Federalism) | 0.60 | 1 / 87 | – | Carlo Sanna |
| 1994 | Did not run | – | 0 / 87 | 1 | Giancarlo Acciaro |
| 1999 | 61,185 (with LAV–CU) | 0.2 | 0 / 87 | – | Antonio Delitala |
| 2004 | 159,098 (with LAL–LFV–UfS) | 0.49 | 0 / 78 | – | Giacomo Sanna |
| 2009 | Did not run | – | 0 / 72 | – | Giovanni Colli |
| 2014 | Into Lega Nord | – | 0 / 73 | – | |
| 2019 | Into Lega Nord | – | 0 / 76 | – | |
Leadership edit
- Secretary: Camillo Bellieni (1921–1922), Paolo Pili (1922), Luigi Oggiano (1922–1923), Salvatore Sale (1923–1925), Ugo Pais (1925–1926), Luigi Battista Puggioni (1926–1945), Giovanni Battista Melis (1945–1948), Piero Soggiu (1948–1951), Giovanni Battista Melis (1951–1953), Pietro Mastino (1953–1957), Giovanni Battista Melis (1957–1974), Michele Columbu (1974–1979), Carlo Sanna (1979–1990), Efisio Pilleri (1990–1991), Giorgio Ladu (1991–1992), Italo Ortu (1992–1994), Giancarlo Acciaro (1994), Cecilia Contu (1994–1995), Lorenzo Palermo (1995–1997), Antonio Delitala (1997–1999), Giacomo Sanna (2000–2006), Efisio Trincas (2006–2009), Giovanni Colli (2009–2014), Giovanni Columbu (2015), Christian Solinas (2015–present)
- President: unknown (1921–unknown), Franco Meloni (unknown–2000), Lorenzo Palermo (2000–2004), Silvano Cadoni (2004–2006), Giacomo Sanna (2006–2015), Giovanni Columbu (2015–2017), Antonio Moro (2018–present)
Symbols edit
Official logo
Electoral logo
References edit
- ^ Hassan, Gerry (2009). Modern SNP: From Protest to Power. Edinburgh University Press. p. 199. ISBN 9780748642113.
Likewise, the constitutional aims of the nationalist Sardinian Action Party (Psd'Az) are more subtle than simply demanding independence.
- ^ Alcalde, Ángel (2017). War Veterans and Fascism in Interwar Europe. Cambridge University Press. p. 70. ISBN 9781107198425.
- ^ "Gianfranco Contu, biografo delle "comunità dentro gli ideali", di Gianfranco Murtas | Fondazione Sardinia".
- ^ a b https://web.archive.org/web/20180531195841/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/sardinia.html [bare URL]
- ^ "Mazzini e le radici del sardismo - la Nuova Sardegna".
- ^ "Il Partito sardo d'Azione nasce il 17 aprile 1921 dal Movimento dei combattenti, riunito a Oristano per preparare le imminenti elezioni politiche. Ma l'evento è preparato da un lungo fermento..." (in Italian). La Nuova. 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
- ^ a b "Efa-Ale (European Free Alliance) expels the Sardinian Action Party". L'Unione Sarda. 2020.
- ^ John A. Agnew (2002). Place and Politics in Modern Italy. University of Chicago Press. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-226-01051-9.
- ^ Sardinian Action Party Statute - About the party: Art.1: Il “Partidu Sardu – Partito Sardo d’Azione” è la libera associazione di coloro che si propongono, attraverso l’azione politica, di affermare la sovranità del popolo sardo sul proprio territorio, e di condurre la Nazione Sarda all’indipendenza.
- ^ Elias (A.) et Tronconi (F.), From protest to power. Autonomist parties and the challenges of representation, Vienna, Braumüller, 2011
- ^ "Sardinians - World Directory of Minorities". Faqs.org.
- ^ a b c d e f Eve Hepburn (2010). "Explaining Failure: Sardinian Nationalism". In Eve Hepburn (ed.). New Challenges for Stateless Nationalist and Regionalist Parties. Routledge. pp. 116–121. ISBN 978-1-317-96596-1.
- ^ "30 years EFA" (PDF). E-f-a.org. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ Izzo, Riccardo (2020-10-05). "Il Partito Sardo d'Azione espulso dagli autonomisti europei dell'European Free Alliance". Termometro Politico (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-10-31.
- ^ Antonio Sorge (2015). Legacies of Violence: History, Society, and the State in Sardinia. University of Toronto Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-4426-2174-9.
- ^ "Partito Sardo d'Azione - PSD'Az - P.S. d'Az". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
- ^ "Mario MELIS". Europarl.europa.eu.
- ^ James Newell (2002). The Italian General Election of 2001: Berlusconi's Victory. Manchester University Press. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7190-6100-4.
- ^ Eve Hepburn (2010). Using Europe: Territorial Party Strategies in a Multi-level System. Manchester University Press. pp. 133–134. ISBN 978-1-84779-764-3.
- ^ "Ministero dell'Interno - Elezioni della Camera dei Deputati". Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
- ^ "Risultati per circoscrizione-Regione Autonoma della Sardegna". Regione.sardegna.it.
- ^ "Elezioni del XIV Consiglio regionale e del Presidente della Regione . Proclamati Eletti Dall' Ufficio Centrale Regionale" (PDF). Regione.sardegna.it. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Ministry of the Interior". Archived from the original on 2010-04-01.
- ^ "Sardegna Oggi: Notizie e informazione regionale". Sardegnaoggi.it.
- ^ "Sardegna - Elezioni Regionali del 16 febbraio 2014". Repubblica.it.
- ^ "Lega-Psd'Az, arriva l'accordo: Salvini a Cagliari - Politica". L'Unione Sarda.it. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "LEGA - PSD'AZ, I NOSTRI OBIETTIVI: 10 PUNTI PER LA SARDEGNA". Sito Ufficiale del Partidu Sardu - Partito Sardo d'Azione. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ Salvini: "Nel 2018 Italia federale". Accordo Lega-Partito Sardo d'Azione, Affaritaliani.it
- ^ Rojch, Luca (23 January 2018). "Psd'Az: "Noi e la Lega? Giusto così. Proteste insignificanti" - Cronaca". la Nuova Sardegna. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Parlamentari al primo mandato e uscenti che tornano a Roma: i 25 eletti". Sardiniapost.it. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Sardegna Reporter - Ultime Notizie Sardegna". Sardegna Reporter. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Psd'Az di nuovo in Parlamento dopo 22 anni grazie a Salvini: eletti Solinas e De Martini". Sardiniapost.it. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Member Parties". EFA - European Free Alliance. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
- ^ https://www.unionesarda.it/politica/psdaz-riconfermati-solinas-e-moro-maieli-e-chessa-si-autosospendono-o1xwr3fs
- ^ https://www.sardegnalive.net/news/politica/507858/congresso-del-psd-az-confermati-solinas-e-moro-tra-le-polemiche
- ^ https://www.unionesarda.it/politica/chessa-e-maieli-lasciano-ufficialmente-il-psdaz-grande-rammarico-ma-dimissioni-irrevocabili-bu0o0m2s
- ^ https://www.lanuovasardegna.it/regione/2024/05/11/news/ora-e-ufficiale-gianni-chessa-e-piero-maieli-lasciano-il-psd-az-1.100519000
- ^ Hepburn, E. (2009) 'Explaining Failure: the Highs and Lows of Sardinian Nationalism', Regional & Federal Studies, 19(4/5)
- ^ Hepburn, Eve (1 December 2009). "Explaining Failure: the Highs and Lows of Sardinian Nationalism" (PDF). Regional & Federal Studies. 19 (4–5): 595–618. doi:10.1080/13597560903310378. hdl:20.500.11820/e807c32f-53f3-49e9-8664-67e5846ecc7a. S2CID 153455408.