Nostra Tera
Our Land Nostra Tera | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Edoardo Bertolino |
| Deputy Leader | Giuda Colaluca |
| Founded | 12 May 1987 |
| Headquarters | 6 Via Concora, Levasco |
| Youth wing | Young Patriots |
| Ideology | Nationalism Regionalism Populism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| Colours | Green |
| Parliament | 2 / 326
|
| Website | |
| www.nostratera.ba | |
Nostra Tera (Ludovite for "Our Land") is a right-wing, nationalist and regionalist political party in Barcia. Founded in 1987 to advocate for greater rights for the region of Ludovicia as well as to promote legal recognition for Ludovite speakers across the country, the party has since shifted its platform to focus on Barcian nationalism and opposition to immigration. The party reached its zenith during the early 2000s, forming a coalition government with the Unity Party in 2003 which saw Nostra Tera gain regional recognition for the Ludovite language as well as work to enact restrictions on immigration from outside the Occidental Confederation. Since then, Nostra Tera has seen its support decline with voters shifting to the Unity Party. Nevertheless, Nostra Tera still retains 2 seats in the Barcian parliament.
History
Nostra Tera was formed in 1987 as a union of various Ludovite interest political parties and pressure groups, most notably the Ludovite Party and the Patriot Party. The union of these various groups created a united front for Ludovite interests, allowing the party to field candidates for all 42 seats in the region of Ludovicia in the 1991 election without competition from any other regionalist party. Whilst the party was unable to win any seats, they did gain 3.2% of the vote, gaining considerable media coverage in the process. This allowed the party to nearly double the number of votes it received in 1995, winning 2 seats both on the island of Scalia.
The party's successes only grew over the following elections, reaching a height of 14 seats in the 2003 election. This position allowed Nostra Tera to act as a potential kingmaker due to the hung parliament. The party would go on to form a coalition government with the Unity Party and became integral to the introduction of Ludovite as a regional language and the reform of the country's immigration system. Despite their time in government, Nostra Tera began to haemorrhage support to the Unity party over the coming years which came to co-opt many of Nostra Tera's immigration and welfare policies. By the 2021 election, Nostra Tera's support reached a low of 4.6% of the vote, with only 2 seats in the Barcian parliament. Such a result led the party to begin a rebrand under the leadership of Edoardo Bertolino. Under Bertolina, Nostra Tera aimed to position its policies with a wider national appeal based on immigration reform, right-wing populism and Barcian nationalism, attracting votes away from the right-wing of the Unity Party.
Ideology
Nostra Tera identifies itself as a Ludovite interest and populist political party, though political commentators also regularly labels the party as nationalist, a stance which is also accepted by party members and representatives. The party does however deny that it is anti-immigration instead suggesting that it is focused on ensuring that immigration to Barcia is "controlled" and "beneficial to the economy".
Key policies from the party's 2021 manifesto included:
- Greater government funding and investment for the regions of Ludovicia and Concara
- Legal recognition of the Ludovite language in the regions of Concara and Forlana
- Introduction of a points-based immigration system
- Introduce stricter punishments for illegal immigrants
- Reform of the asylum system
- Elimination of the top 50% tax rate
- Reform of the unemployment benefits system
Election results
| Election year | General Election | Government | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of overall votes |
% of overall vote |
# of overall seats won |
+/– | ||
| 1991 | 366,658 | 3.2 % | 0 / 337
|
 0
|
in opposition |
| 1995 | 626,936 | 4.8 % | 2 / 337
|
 2
|
in opposition |
| 1999 | 1,152,262 | 8.4 % | 7 / 316
|
5
|
in opposition |
| 2003 | 2,287,655 | 17.3 % | 14 / 316
|
7
|
in government |
| 2006 | 2,047,650 | 16.4 % | 14 / 320
|
0
|
in opposition |
| 2009 | 1,852,826 | 13.4 % | 8 / 321
|
 6
|
in opposition |
| 2013 | 1,764,053 | 12.6 % | 9 / 321
|
1
|
in opposition |
| 2017 | 1,074,745 | 7.2 % | 6 / 326
|
3
|
in opposition |
| 2021 | 775,744 | 4.6 % | 2 / 326
|
4
|
in opposition |