Autonomous Socialist Party (Ticino)

Autonomous Socialist Party Partito Socialista Autonomo
Abbreviation	PSA
Founded	1966
Dissolved	1992
Split from	Social Democratic Party
Merged into	Social Democratic Party
Headquarters	Bellinzona, Ticino
Ideology	Communism Marxism
Political position	Far-left
Party flag
Politics of Switzerland Political parties Elections

The Autonomous Socialist Party (Italian: Partito Socialista Autonomo, PSA) was a far-left political party in Switzerland, based in the canton of Ticino.

History

The PSA was established in 1966; its founders were former members from the Social Democratic Party who had been expelled for their far-left views. It failed to win a seat in the National Council in the 1971 federal elections, but in the 1975 elections it ran in Ticino in alliance with the Progressive Organizations of Switzerland (POCH), with Werner Carobbio winning one seat. It continued its alliance with POCH for the 1979 elections, retaining its single seat. It retained the seat again in the 1983 and 1987. It was renamed Unitarian Socialist Party in 1988, The PSA was well represented in the Grand Council of Ticino, maintaining between six and nine seats in the legislature (of ninety) constantly between 1971 and 1991. After retaining its seat again in 1991, it merged back into the Social Democratic Party in 1992.

Election history

National Council

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Rank
1971	5,271	0.3	0 / 200		12th
1975	6,706	0.3	1 / 200	1	13th
1979	8,147	0.4	1 / 200		13th
1983	9,962	0.5	1 / 200		14th
1987	10,879	0.6	1 / 200		14th
1991	12,006	0.6	1 / 200		15th

Grand Council of Ticino

Election	%	Seats	+/–	Rank
1971	6.7	6 / 90	6	4th
1975	7.6	6 / 90		4th
1979	9.4	8 / 90	2	4th
1983	10.6	8 / 90		4th
1987	11.0	7 / 90	1	4th
1991	10.0	9 / 90	2	5th

Notable members

• Werner Carobbio
• Pietro Martinelli

References

• "Kanton Tessin: nationale und kantonale Wahlen seit 1919". Federal Statistical Office. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2022.