# For the Autonomies

For the Autonomies (Italian: Per le Autonomie, Aut) is a heterogeneous, mostly centrist, centre-left and regionalist, parliamentary group which has been active, with slightly different names and compositions, in the Italian Senate since 2001.

## History

The group was formed in May 2001 by six senators representing the northern special-statute autonomous regions of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (composed of two autonomous provinces, Trentino and South Tyrol) and Aosta Valley, two senators of European Democracy (DE) and senators for life Giulio Andreotti (a long-time Christian Democrat, who was then a member of DE too) and Gianni Agnelli. Instrumental in the formation of the group were Helga Thaler Ausserhofer, who served also as its first president, and Andreotti: the two formed a friendship and a strong political bond, despite their different geographical and political backgrounds.
The group has since been home for the regionalist parties usually affiliated with the centre-left Olive Tree (Ulivo) coalition and, later, the Democratic Party (PD), including the South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP), the Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party (PATT), the Union for Trentino (UpT), the Valdostan Union (UV) and Valdostan Renewal (RV), and most senators for life, including Andreotti (2001–2006, 2008–2013), Agnelli (2001–2003), Francesco Cossiga (2003–2006, 2008–2010), Emilio Colombo (2008–2013), Carlo Rubbia (2013–2018), Elena Cattaneo (2013–present), Giorgio Napolitano (2015–2023), Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (2015–2016), Renzo Piano (2015–2018) and Carlo Rubbia (2022–present).
In 2006–2008 the group survived thanks to the influx of six senators of the would-be PD. In 2008–2013 it welcomed the Union of the Centre (UdC), the Associative Movement Italians Abroad (MAIE) and some centre-right independent or minor-party senators; during that parliamentary term the group saw also the return of Andreotti and Cossiga. In 2013–2018 the group welcomed the senators of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) and, from 2014 to 2018, those of Solidary Democracy (DeS). More recently, from 2018 to 2022, the group featured also Pier Ferdinando Casini (Centrists for Europe–CP), who has continuously served in Parliament since 1983. In 2025 the group was joined by one senator representing the Greens of South Tyrol and Green Europe.

## Composition
### 2022–present

| Party | Party | Main ideology | MPs | MPs |
| Party | Party | Main ideology | 2022 | now |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party | Regionalism | 2 | 2 |
| | Campobase | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Party | Social democracy | 1 | 1 |
| | Greens (South Tyrol) / Green Europe | Green politics | – | 1 |
| | South calls North | Regionalism | 1 | – |
| | Non-party independents | Non-party independents | 2 | 2 |
| Total | Total | Total | 7 | 7 |
Source: Senate of the Republic

### 2018–2022

| Party | Party | Main ideology | MPs | MPs |
| Party | Party | Main ideology | 2018 | 2022 |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party | Regionalism | 3 | 3 |
| | Valdostan Union | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Party | Social democracy | 1 | 1 |
| | Centrists for Europe–CP | Centrism | 1 | 1 |
| | Non-party independents | Non-party independents | 2 | 2 |
| Total | Total | Total | 8 | 8 |
Source: Senate of the Republic

### 2013–2018

| Party | Party | Main ideology | MPs | MPs |
| Party | Party | Main ideology | 2013 | 2018 |
| | Italian Socialist Party | Social democracy | 2 | 3 |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party | Regionalism | 2 | 2 |
| | Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Union for Trentino | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Valdostan Union | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Party | Social democracy | 1 | 1 |
| | Non-party independents | Non-party independents | 2 | 5 |
| | Solidary Democracy | Christian left | – | 1 |
| | Associative Movement Italians Abroad | Centrism | – | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 10 | 16 |
Source: Senate of the Republic

### 2008–2013

| Party | Party | Main ideology | MPs | MPs |
| Party | Party | Main ideology | 2008 | 2013 |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party | Regionalism | 3 | 3 |
| | Union of the Centre | Christian democracy | 3 | 5 |
| | Valdostan Union | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Associative Movement Italians Abroad | Centrism | 1 | 1 |
| | Non-party independents | Non-party independents | 3 | 2 |
| | Toward North | Regionalism | – | 1 |
| | Italian Socialist Party | Social democracy | – | 1 |
| | Italian Republican Party | Social liberalism | – | 1 |
| | Italian Liberal Party | Liberalism | – | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 11 | 16 |
Source: Senate of the Republic

### 2006–2008

| Party | Party | Main ideology | MPs | MPs |
| Party | Party | Main ideology | 2006 | 2008 |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party | Regionalism | 3 | 3 |
| | Democrats of the Left | Social democracy | 3 | 0 |
| | Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy | Centrism | 2 | 0 |
| | Daisy Civic List | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Valdostan Renewal | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Party | Social democracy | – | 5 |
| Total | Total | Total | 10 | 10 |
Source: Senate of the Republic

### 2001–2006

| Party | Party | Main ideology | MPs | MPs |
| Party | Party | Main ideology | 2001 | 2006 |
| | South Tyrolean People's Party | Regionalism | 3 | 3 |
| | European Democracy | Christian democracy | 3 | 0 |
| | Daisy Civic List | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Valdostan Union | Regionalism | 1 | 1 |
| | Italian People's Party | Christian democracy | 1 | 0 |
| | Non-party independents | Non-party independents | 1 | 4 |
| | Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy | Centrism | – | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 10 | 10 |
Source: Senate of the Republic

## Leadership

* President:
** Helga Thaler Ausserhofer (SVP, 2001–2006)
** Oskar Peterlini (SVP, 2006–2008)
** Gianpiero D'Alia (UdC, 2008–2013)
** Karl Zeller (SVP, 2013–2018)
** Julia Unterberger (SVP, 2018–present)