[4] The group was launched in order to continue to support Silvio Berlusconi's government, which was would be brought down by Northern League leader Umberto Bossi three days after.
They included Franco Rocchetta (founder and long-standing leader of the Venetian League, LV), Marilena Marin (secretary of the LV from 1984 to 1994), Lucio Malan, Furio Gubetti and Gualberto Niccolini (president of the Northern League Tuscany from 1988).
[11] Costa, Cerullo and Luigi Negri were respectively appointed secretary, president and coordinator of the new party.
In the 1996 Italian general election (Chamber of Deputies) the FL obtained 6,475 votes (0.02%) among party lists (having fielded a list only in the Sicily 1 constituency) and 11,563 votes (0.03%) for first-past-the-post candidates (having fielded only three candidates in three constituencies of Sicily 1).
However, some outgoing members were re-elected in first-past-the-post constituencies for the Pole and joined FI parliamentary groups: Costa, Negri, Malan, Gubbetti, Niccolini, Umberto Giovine, Paolo Mammola, Mario Masiero and Giuseppe Rossetto.