Pole for Freedoms Polo per le Libertà | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Other leaders | |
| Founded |
|
| Dissolved | 2000 |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | House of Freedoms |
| Political position | Centre-right[1][2] |
ThePole for Freedoms (Italian:Polo per le Libertà) was acentre-rightpolitical andelectoral alliance inItaly, which was active from 1996 to 2000. It includedForza Italia (FI), theNational Alliance (AN),Union of the Centre (UdC),Christian Democratic Centre (CCD),United Christian Democrats (CDD),[3] andPannella–Sgarbi List.[4]
The Pole for Freedoms was formed as a continuation of thePole of Freedoms andPole of Good Government coalitions, which had both supported the leadership ofSilvio Berlusconi at the1994 general election: the Pole of Freedom was constituted by Forza Italy andLega Nord, the Pole of Good Government by Forza Italia and the National Alliance. After that, Lega Nord left the coalition at the end of 1994, the centre-right was forced to reform itself: in 1995, in occasion of the regional elections, an organic alliance was formed. In 1996 it was officially named "Pole for Freedoms" and debuted in the1996 general election; however, it was defeated by thecentre-left allianceThe Olive Tree, whose leader wasRomano Prodi.
The Pole for Freedoms was in opposition to the centre-left governments (of Prodi,Massimo D'Alema andGiuliano Amato) until 2000, when, after the rapprochement with the Lega Nord, became theHouse of Freedoms (CdL). The new CdL coalition won the2001 general election and remained in government until the followinggeneral election in 2006.
It was initially composed of the followingpolitical parties:
| Election | Leader | Chamber of Deputies | Senate of the Republic | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Position | Votes | % | Seats | Position | ||
| 1996 | Silvio Berlusconi | 15,027,030 | 40.09 | 169 / 630 | 1st | 12,185,020 | 37.35 | 116 / 315 | 2nd |
