The party was founded on 30 November 2008 by Egyptian-born journalist Magdi Allam, who is a Catholic convert from Islam.

The party was socially conservative and, in its program, supported: human rights, bans on abortions, freedom and in particular religious freedom, the centrality of the family, democracy, economic liberalism, solidarity, subsidiarity, meritocracy and stewardship.

[2] The symbol of the party (an Italian flag with a yellow cross) has been drawn by the political cartoonist Giorgio Forattini.

[3] In late 2011 ALI was joined by two regional splinter groups of Lega Nord, who became associate parties: the Community Democratic League in Veneto[4] and Tuscan Identity in Tuscany.

Behind this decision, there were Allam's opposition to abortion and to the membership of the Turkish Justice and Development Party.