National Cohesion

National Cohesion (Coesione Nazionale, CN) was a centre-right parliamentary group active in the Italian Senate.

Launched on 2 March 2011, the group was supportive of Berlusconi IV Cabinet. The group's president was Pasquale Viespoli, formerly leader of Future and Freedom in the Senate, and its counterpart in the Chamber of Deputies was People and Territory.^[1] Most of its members were elected in Southern Italy.

From 5 May to 12 November 2011 the group was represented in government by Riccardo Villari, under-secretary at the Ministry of Culture.^[2]

Composition

The group included:^[3]

• former members of Future and Freedom (Future and Freedom, FLI)
  • ideology: National conservatism, liberal conservatism
  • leader: Pasquale Viespoli
  • 3 senators: Giuseppe Menardi, Maurizio Saia, Pasquale Viespoli
• Force of the South (Forza del Sud, FdS)
  • ideology: Liberal conservatism, regionalism
  • leader: Gianfranco Micciché
  • 3 senators: Roberto Centaro, Mario Ferrara, Salvo Fleres
• The Populars of Italy Tomorrow (I Popolari di Italia Domani, PID)
  • ideology: Christian democracy, regionalism
  • leader: Francesco Saverio Romano
  • 1 senator: Maria Giuseppa Castiglione
• I the South (Io Sud, IS)
  • ideology: National conservatism, centrism, regionalism
  • leader: Adriana Poli Bortone
  • 1 senator: Adriana Poli Bortone
• 3 senators of The People of Freedom (PdL) who joined the group for technical reasons:
  • Valerio Carrara, Elio Massimo Palmizio, Salvatore Piscitelli^[4]
• 2 independent senators:
  • Alberto Filippi (ex-Lega Nord)
  • Riccardo Villari (ex-DC/PPI/CDU/UDEUR/DL/PD/MpA)

References

1. http://www.corriere.it/notizie-ultima-ora/Cronache_e_politica/Senato-nasce-Coesione-nazionale/26-02-2011/1-A_000142238.shtml
2. http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2011/maggio/06/rimpasto_non_placa_malumori_nella_co_9_110506118.shtml
3. http://www.senato.it/composizione/21600/159070/152847/genpagina.htm
4. PdL senator Franco Cardiello was member of the group from 2 March 2011 to 27 July 2011. Senator Elio Massimo Palmizio went temporarily back to PdL from 27 July 2011 to 2 February 2012.