Italexit for Italy
Italexit per l'Italia
SecretaryVacant
Founded23 July 2020
Split fromFive Star Movement
HeadquartersVia dei Grimani 4, Milan
NewspaperIl Paragone[n 1]
IdeologyHard Euroscepticism[1][2]
Populism[3]
Sovereigntism[4]
Conservatism[5]
Political positionSyncretic[6] or right-wing[7]
Colours  Blue
Chamber of Deputies
0 / 400
Senate
0 / 200
European Parliament
0 / 76
Regional Councils
0 / 896
Website
italexit.it

Italexit for Italy (Italian: Italexit per l'Italia), usually referred to simply as Italexit, is a hard Eurosceptic political party in Italy, which advocates the country's exit from the eurozone and the European Union.[8][9] Its founder is Gianluigi Paragone,[10][11] former senator and TV journalist, who has defined himself as a "conservative",[12] and presented Italexit as a "conservative party".[13] Paragone opposes Italy's membership in the NATO alliance.[14][15][5]

History

In January 2020, Five Star Movement (M5S) senator and former journalist[n 2] Gianluigi Paragone, known for his Eurosceptic stance, was expelled from the party after he abstained in the vote of confidence for the government, which was supported by M5S and the Democratic Party, and had also voted against the 2022 budget.[16] In the following months, Paragone was speaking about a new party, talking about the "need for courage...and money."[17]

In July 2020, a few weeks after meeting with Nigel Farage, a key figure of the Brexit movement,[18] Paragone launched Italexit with the stated goal of taking Italy out of the European Union.[4]

Two M5S senators, Carlo Martelli and Mario Giarrusso, defected to Italexit in 2021,[19] while, in 2022, League senator William De Vecchis and deputy Jessica Costanzo, who had been already expelled from the M5S, also joined.[20][21]

Gianluigi Paragone, party's founder and leader

Between 2021 and 2022, the party was critical towards the policies of Mario Draghi's national unity government[22] applied to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Italexit strongly opposed the EU Digital COVID Certificate, also known as "Green Pass", which, from October 2021 onwards, became mandatory to work and travel in the country.[23] Paragone labelled the vaccination certificate an "obligation of infamy,"[24] stated that he was not vaccinated, and described his opposition to mandatory vaccination as a "religious war".[25]

In the 2021 Milan municipal election, Paragone obtained 2.99% of the vote and came in third behind incumbent mayor Giuseppe Sala of the centre-left coalition and Luca Bernardo of the centre-right coalition. Because he did not surpass the 3 per cent electoral threshold he did not get elected to the municipal council.[26] Elsewhere, in the 2021 local elections, Italexit's candidates scored from 0.8% of the vote in Turin,[27] to 2.0% in Bologna.[28]

In the 2022 Italian local elections, Italexit scored 0.9% of the vote in Como[29] to 2.6% in Alessandria.[30]

In June 2022, Italexit held in Rome its first congress, at the end of which, on the 26th, its organizational chart and political platform were approved, while Gianluigi Paragone was unanimously elected party secretary.[31]

On 31 July, Paragone announced the formation of a joint list of candidates for the 2022 Italian general election with Alternativa,[32] a party supportive of dirigisme and economic interventionism,[33] established in November 2021 by former Five Star Movement members. After five days, on 5 August 2022, Alternativa announced the dissolution of the electoral alliance with Italexit, on the grounds that neofascists were ostensibly present within Italexit's lists of candidates.[34] Paragone responded by accusing Alternativa of attempting to "use [Italexit] as a taxi to the Parliament."[35]

Paragone has stated that he wants Italy to exit from the NATO alliance, as well as to cease sanctions against Russia,[n 3] sanctions which, he declared, "are causing damage to [the country's] economy."[14][15][5]

In a letter published on the party website on 29 December, Paragone resigned as secretary, returning to work as a journalist, and he also prevented the party from using his name.[36]

Ideology

As declared in the program for 2022 Italian general election, the party proposes a return of Italian sovereignty (especially fiscal and monetary) in contrast to the influence of European Union, with the orientation being strongly eurosceptic and critical of part of the same Italian political and bureaucratic establishment. In this sense, it suggests policies such as the nationalisation of the Bank of Italy and other strategic assets (energy, roads, communications and water) and a social public expenditure.

Regarding COVID-19, Italexit is against social limitations and EU Digital COVID Certificate, and proposes public compensations for victims of adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines and a public inquiry about the Italian management of COVID-19 pandemic.[37]

Italexit welcomed some dissidents from the neo-fascist social movement CasaPound in 2022, leading several members to resign amid accusations that the party had fallen to the far-right of the political spectrum.[38] According to la Repubblica, Fanpage.it and Rolling Stone,[39][40][41][42] the party fell under the control of far-right militants and was used by CasaPound to enter the parliament.[43][41][42]

Electoral results

Italian Parliament

Chamber of Deputies
Election year Votes % Seats +/− Leaders
2022 534,579 1.90
0 / 400
 Steady0
Senate of the Republic
Election year Votes % Seats +/− Leaders
2022 515,294 1.87
0 / 200
 Steady0

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The Italian word paragone means "comparison" in English.
  2. ↑ Paragone has been editor of Lega Nord's newspaper La Padania, deputy editor of the Libero newspaper, and host of several talk shows on Rai 2 and La7.
  3. ↑ See 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

References

  1. ↑ "Paragone: "Fondo un partito, voglio portare l'Italia fuori dall'euro"" [Paragone: "I found a party, I want to take Italy out of the euro"]. Adnkronos (in Italian). 16 June 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Italian politician launches anti-EU party to push for 'Italexit'". The Local. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Brussels polls: Populist Italexit party has hit new highs". BOLnews. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 Specchia, Francesco (23 July 2020). "Paragone presenta Italexit: 'Siamo già al 5%'" [Paragone presents Italexit: We are already at 5%']. Adnkronos (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Bravetti, Antonio (3 August 2022). "Alternativa e ItalExit: 'Mattarella ci esoneri dalle firme o ci vedremo in piazza'" [Alternativa and Italexit: 'Mattarella will exempt us from signing or we will see you in the square']. Agenzia Dire (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  6. ↑ Alexander Damiano Ricci (2022). Edizioni Gruppo Abele (ed.). Propaganda Europa. ISBN 9788865792650.
  7. ↑ "Italy". Europe Elects.
  8. ↑ Follain, John (23 July 2020). "Populist Senator Founds 'Italexit' Party to Quit EU, Ditch Euro". Bloomberg News.
  9. ↑ Amante, Angelo (21 July 2020). "Italexit! Popular Senator launches party to take Italy out of EU". Reuters. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  10. ↑ "Italian Senator launches Italexit party to push for leaving EU". Al Jazeera. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "Gianluigi Paragone ha fondato un nuovo partito, 'No Europa per l'Italia – Italexit con Paragone'" [Gianluigi Paragone has founded a new party, 'No Europe for Italy – Italexit with Paragone']. Il Post (in Italian). 23 July 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  12. ↑ Caliendo, Emiliano (10 March 2022). "Italexit di Paragone sbarca a Napoli e recluta nuovi amministratori locali" [Italexit of Paragone lands in Naples and recruits new local administrators]. Il Mattino (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "In Onda, alta tensione tra Gianluigi Paragone e Marianna Aprile-Luca Telese. Covid e candidato, che scintille" [In Onda, high tension between Gianluigi Paragone and Marianna Aprile-Luca Telese. Covid and candidate, what sparks]. Il Tempo (in Italian). 13 August 2022.
  14. 1 2 Grignetti, Francesco (22 August 2022). "Gli antisistema di Italexit: No Vax, No euro e ora No Nato" [Italexit's anti-systemics: No Vax, No euro and now No NATO]. La Stampa (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Gianluigi Paragone a Verona a caccia delle firme per poter presentarsi a Camera e Senato" [Gianluigi Paragone in Verona hunting for signatures to be able to present himself to the Chamber and the Senate]. Adige di Verona (in Italian). 11 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  16. ↑ "Paragone espulso dal Movimento 5 Stelle: 'Ha anche votato contro la legge di bilancio'. Lui: 'Sono stato espulso dal nulla'" [Paragone expelled by the 5 Star Movement: 'He also voted against the budget'. Him: 'I was expelled out of nowhere']. La Repubblica (in Italian). 1 January 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  17. ↑ Specchia, Francesco (29 June 2020). "Paragone: 'Per fondare un nuovo partito ci vogliono le palle' (e anche un po' i soldi)" [Paragone: 'It takes balls to found a new party' (and a little money too)]. Libero Quotidiano (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  18. ↑ Amante, Angelo (21 July 2020). "Italexit! Popular senator launches party to take Italy out of EU". Reuters. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  19. ↑ Loria, Danilo. "Crisi di governo, Paragone (Italexit): 'tutti mi schifano, sono l'unico del Gruppo Misto che non è stato chiamato'" [Government crisis, Paragone (Italexit): 'They all disgust me, I'm the only one in the Mixed Group who has not been called']. StrettoWeb (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  20. ↑ "Lega, senatore De Vecchis passa a Italexit" [League, senator De Vecchis passes to Italexit]. Adnkronos (in Italian). 17 February 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  21. ↑ "La deputata Jessica Costanzo passa a Italexit" [Deputy Jessica Costanzo passes to Italexit]. NewsPrima (in Italian). 12 May 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  22. ↑ Roberts, Hannah (12 February 2021). "Mario Draghi forms Italian government". Politico. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  23. ↑ Giuffrida, Angela (22 July 2021). "Italy imposes 'green pass' restrictions on unvaccinated people". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  24. ↑ Galeazzi, Giacomo (16 February 2022). "Paragone, Giarrusso, Martelli, Dessi e gli altri sei parlamentari che hanno fatto ricorso contro il Super Green Pass" [Paragone, Giarrusso, Martelli, Dessi and the other six members of parliament who appealed against the Super Green Pass]. La Stampa (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  25. ↑ "'Resisto e non mi vaccino'. La sfida di Paragone: 'userò il mio corpo in questa guerra di religione'" ['I resist and I do not vaccinate'. The challenge of Paragone: 'I will use my body in this religious war']. Il Tempo (in Italian). 7 January 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  26. ↑ Berra, Valerio (21 February 2022). "Paragone escluso dal consiglio comunale di Milano per 43 o 1.500 voti? 'Fatti fuori per volontà politica'" [Paragone excluded from the municipal council of Milan by 43 or 1,500 votes? 'Kicked out by political decision']. OpenOnline (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  27. ↑ Penna, Alexia (3 June 2021). "Ivano Verra candidato sindaco a Torino per Italexit" [Ivano Verra mayor candidate in Turin for Italexit]. Torino Today (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  28. ↑ "Elezioni Bologna, BFC e Italexit per Stefano Sermenghi sindaco: le liste dei candidati" [Bologna elections, Bologna Forum Civico and Italexit for Stefano Sermenghi as mayor: the lists of candidates]. Torino Today (in Italian). 5 September 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  29. ↑ "Elezioni Comunali 2022 - Risultati Comune di Como (Lobardia)" [Municipal Elections 2022 - Municipality of Como (Lombardy) results]. La Repubblica (in Italian). 27 June 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  30. ↑ "Elezioni Comunali 2022 - Risultati Comune di Alessandria (Piemonte)" [Municipal Elections 2022 - Municipality of Alessandria (Piemonte) results]. La Stampa (in Italian). 27 June 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  31. ↑ "Gianluigi Paragone eletto all'unanimità segretario di Italexit" [Gianluigi Paragone unanimously elected Italexit secretary]. Asca Agency (in Italian). 26 June 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  32. ↑ Stefano Puzzer candidato alle politiche con Italexit. Gioia incontenibile di Paragone, Trieste Cafè
  33. ↑ Iacono, Agata (3 March 2021). "'L'alternativa c'è': il manifesto politico dell'opposizione a Draghi" [There is an Alternative: the political manifesto of the opposition to Draghi]. L'Antidiplomatico (in Italian). Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  34. ↑ "Si spacca il fronte No Green pass, Alternativa di Cabras si allontana da Italexit: 'Ci sono candidati che fanno parte di gruppi di ispirazione neofascista'" [The No Green Pass front breaks, Alternativa of Cabras moves away from Italexit: 'There are candidates who are part of neofascist-inspired groups']. OpenOnline (in Italian). 5 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  35. ↑ "Elezioni: dopo 48 è già rottura tra Alternativa e Italexit" [Elections: After 48 hours it's already broken up between Alternative and Italexit]. La Voce d'Italia (in Italian). 5 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  36. ↑ "L'addio di Paragone alla politica, strappo definitivo con Italexit: «Torno a fare il giornalista: non usate più il nome»". Open (in Italian). 29 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  37. ↑ "Programma" [Program] (in Italian). August 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  38. ↑ "Italexit, dimissioni in blocco a Pistoia: "Deriva verso l'estrema destra"e". La Nazione. 15 September 2022.
  39. ↑ "Italexit, dimissioni in blocco a Pistoia: "Deriva verso l'estrema destra"e". La Nazione - Pistoia. 15 September 2022.
  40. ↑ "Così l'estrema destra si è presa Italexit e ora punta a entrare in Parlamento con i voti di Paragone". Fanpage.it. 20 September 2022.
  41. 1 2 Berizzi, Paolo (21 September 2022). "L'ascesa del tandem Italexit-CasaPound ai danni di FdI". La Repubblica.
  42. 1 2 "Come Italexit è diventata il nuovo parco giochi dell'estrema destra italiana". Rolling Stone. 24 September 2022.
  43. ↑ "Così l'estrema destra si è presa Italexit e ora punta a entrare in Parlamento con i voti di Paragone". Fanpage.it. 20 September 2022.

Further reading

  • Blokker, Paul; Anselmi, Manuel, eds. (2019). Multiple Populisms: Italy as Democracy's Mirror. Routledge. ISBN 978-0815361718.
  • Martinico, Giuseppe (2021). Filtering Populist Claims to Fight Populism: The Italian Case in a Comparative Perspective. Comparative Constitutional Law and Policy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1108496131.
  • Lapavitsas, Costas (2018). The Left Case Against the EU. Polity. ISBN 978-1509531066.
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