), a liberal-conservative party led by Giovanni Toti, president of Liguria, started to attract new members from the more centrist wing of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI).

[12][13] During the press conference in which he and Toti launched the new party, Brugnaro thanked Berlusconi, describing him as a "brave leader", but also added that the centre-right "has to move on, it is another era".

In less than a year, CI, which had failed to attract substantial support countrywide, according to opinion polls, experienced an internal crisis.

CI obtained relevant results only in Veneto, Brugnaro's home-region, most notably 5.2% in Verona and 4.4% in Padua, while IaC won 9.2% in Genoa, 8.5% in La Spezia, 3.7% in Rieti, 5.2% in L'Aquila and 4.3% in Catanzaro.

[21] The joint parliamentary group in the Chamber was dissolved,[22] while six other deputies, including vice president Marin, left the party, founding a new party called Vinciamo Italia,[23][24] and CI was left with seven deputies (led by Emilio Carelli)[25] and two senators (Andrea Causin and Marinella Pacifico).