Conformitas Imperiala

Conformitas Imperiala ("Imperial conformity") was the name given to an official government policy of Amalfi. A guiding policy of a succession of governments, its stated purpose was to bring about standardisation of the administrative systems used in metropolitan Amalfi and its colonies and so to bring an end to exploitation of the republic's overseas territories. In place from 1893, it was never formally removed from the doctrine of the Senate of Amalfi despite the famous declaration of Princeps Galarus Portinus Resinae (SL) in 1974 that "conformity has been achieved".

Background

Although the history of Amalfi is largely centred around its efforts to control maritime trade, its overseas colonial ambitions were not actively pursued until the 17th and 18th centuries. These periods saw more expansion into the interiors of Amalfi's claims than had been previously attained, largely achieved through a strong military presence. Local populations were placed under heavy tax which, in most cases, rose disproportionately against the rate of increase in Amalfi itself. Multiple reports found numerous and various flaws in the system of colonial administration, but the Senate made little attempt to reform the mechanisms.

History

Throughout the early nineteenth century, various governments introduced successive measures aimed at reforming the system under which colonial governors (proconsuls) were appointed and overseen; by 1942, the proconsular office had been abolished and been replaced with democratically-elected assemblies in each colony. In 1956 a law was passed by the Senate which restricted the authority to dictate rates of taxation to the Senate itself. In 1974, Galarus Portinus Resinae, a princeps appointed by the ruling Partitia Socialistica Libera (now the Democratic Party), announced before the Senate that Conformitas Imperiala had finally attained its goals.

In mid-1995, this claim seemed to be belied by the emerging Tagosi Crisis, wherein allegations of corruption in the government were compounded by claims of abuse of the colonies by several ministries in defiance of Supreme Court orders and constitutional requirements. In the immediate aftermath, the Traditionalist government split and collapsed and was forced to enter into a coalition government with the Republican Party. The controversy led to the foundation of the Libertarian Party and massive growth in the Society for Liberty, both primarily aimed at furthering the progress made up to that point. It remains a focal point of Amalfitan politics.