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Team K
Team K
from Wikipedia

Team K (TK), named Team Köllensperger from its establishment in July 2018 to November 2019, is a political party active in South Tyrol, where it seeks to be an inter-ethnic centrist party.[4] Led by Paul Köllensperger, it is politically regionalist,[5] liberal,[6][7][8] and social-liberal.[5][9][10]

Key Information

The party, which is close to NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS), a like-minded liberal party, is an observer member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE) and formed a pact with More Europe (+Eu) for the 2019 European Parliament election in Italy. In addition to social-liberal and environmentalist policies, TK advocates a pro-European stance,[11] and is supportive of direct democracy.[5]

History

[edit]

The party was established on the 10 July 2018 by Paul Köllensperger, a member of the Landtag of South Tyrol.[12] Köllensperger was elected in the Landtag after the 2013 provincial election within the Five Star Movement (M5S).[13] In July 2018, he left the party accusing its leadership of not being interested in promoting enough South Tyrol's local interests and that it was necessary to establish a new party aimed at representing all the South Tyroleans looking for an inter-ethnic centrist party and aiming at breaking the absolute majority of the South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP).[14] In the 2018 provincial election the party obtained a successful 15.2% of the vote, arriving second after the SVP.[15]

In the run-up to the 2019 European Parliament election in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, TK, which affirmed to be taking inspiration from Austria's NEOS party,[11] joined the ALDE party.[16][17][18][19][20] Consequently, it formed a pact with +Eu, ALDE's member party in Italy, and proposed Renate Holzeisen as its candidate.[21][22][11] The list came third with 11.2% of the vote in South Tyrol and Holzeisen was the second most-voted candidate in the province, gaining nearly 23,000 votes; she did not succeed in being elected as the list did not pass the 4% country-level electoral threshold.[23] Holzeisen later left the party and joined and joined Vita, focusing on opposing COVID-19 vaccines.[24]

In the 2023 provincial election, the party obtained 11.1% of the vote, while Holzeisen-led Vita won 2.6%.

In the 2024 European Parliament election, the party ran within Action, with Köllensperger as its candidate,[25] and obtained 6.8% of the vote.

Election results

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Provincial Council

[edit]
Landtag of South Tyrol
Election year Votes % Seats +/– Leader
2018 43,315 (2nd) 15.2
6 / 35
Paul Köllensperger
2023 31,201 (2nd) 11.1
4 / 35
Decrease 2

European Parliament

[edit]
Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– EP Group
2019 Paul Köllensperger Into More Europe
0 / 76
New
2024 Into Action
0 / 76
Steady 0

Leadership

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Team K (TK) is a regional operating in , the in , founded in July 2018 by Paul Köllensperger as Team Köllensperger to advance citizen-centered policies independent of the province's entrenched ethnic divisions between German- and Italian-speaking populations. The party rebranded to Team K in November 2019 and positions itself as an innovative, transparent alternative emphasizing practical solutions in areas such as , social welfare, health, and over traditional consociational arrangements. In its debut at the 2018 provincial elections, the party captured 5.98% of the vote, securing three seats in the 35-member Provincial Council and establishing itself as a voice for cross-linguistic unity. By the 2023 elections, Team K expanded its representation to four seats with 8.7% of the vote, maintaining an opposition role while advocating for systemic changes like greater governmental transparency and overhauls in schooling amid teacher shortages and protests. The party's growth reflects dissatisfaction with ethnic-based politics but has not yet translated into governing influence, as the South Tyrolean People's Party-led coalition retained power despite vote losses.

History

Founding and Initial Formation (2018–2019)

Team Köllensperger was established in July 2018 by Paul Köllensperger, who had served as a member of the South Tyrolean Provincial Council since his election in 2013 under the Five Star Movement (M5S). Köllensperger, a Bolzano native fluent in both German and Italian, departed from M5S citing the national party's failure to adequately address South Tyrol's unique regional challenges, including its bilingual context and autonomy demands. The formation positioned the group as a civic, non-ethnic movement focused on pragmatic, competence-based politics transcending traditional linguistic divides in the province. The party's initial platform emphasized transparency, efficient administration, and safeguarding local interests against national overreach, drawing support from voters frustrated with established parties like the dominant South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) and M5S. In the provincial elections of October 21, 2018, Team Köllensperger participated as a new entrant and achieved notable success, garnering over 6% of the valid votes across language groups and securing three seats in the 35-member Provincial Council. This outcome marked a breakthrough for the fledgling group, with Köllensperger topping preference votes and enabling the party to establish itself as a relevant opposition force. During 2019, Team Köllensperger consolidated its presence by expanding its organizational structure and engaging in provincial debates on budget and policy matters, while maintaining independence from governing coalitions. In November 2019, the party rebranded to Team K, shifting emphasis from the founder's surname to a symbolizing . This period laid the groundwork for broader appeal among both German- and Italian-speaking electorates, prioritizing evidence-based solutions over ideological rigidity.

Expansion and Rebranding (2019–2023)

In November 2019, following its breakthrough performance in the October 2018 provincial election where it secured 6 seats in the 35-member Landtag of South Tyrol as the second-strongest party, Team Köllensperger rebranded to Team K. The change aimed to de-emphasize founder Paul Köllensperger's personal name, promoting a collective "team" identity to attract broader support beyond individual leadership and across South Tyrol's linguistic divides, while maintaining focus on evidence-based, non-ethnic politics. As the primary opposition force, Team K expanded its legislative footprint from 2019 onward, critiquing the ruling (SVP)-led coalition on issues like administrative efficiency and inter-ethnic cooperation. The party advocated for associative models over traditional consociational ethnic quotas, positioning itself as a pragmatic alternative amid growing voter disillusionment with established autonomist structures. This period saw internal consolidation, with efforts to build local networks and policy expertise, though specific membership growth figures remain undocumented in . By 2023, Team K had established itself as a persistent player in South Tyrol's fragmented politics, entering the provincial on with a platform emphasizing citizen-oriented reforms. The party retained parliamentary representation in a expanded to include 12 groups, reflecting sustained but moderated appeal compared to its 2018 surge, as SVP losses redistributed votes among independents and centrists.

Recent Activities and Challenges (2023–Present)

In the provincial elections held on October 22, 2023, Team K emerged as the second strongest political list in , securing seats in the Provincial Council and positioning itself as a key opposition force. The party's performance reflected voter dissatisfaction with the incumbent Südtiroler Volkspartei (SVP), which saw its vote share decline to 34%, amid broader shifts toward alternative voices on issues like autonomy and regional governance. Following the vote, Team K opted for opposition, declining involvement in the governing coalition formed by SVP under with right-leaning parties including Fratelli d'Italia and , which narrowed the majority's margin after internal adjustments in early 2024. As opposition members in the Provincial Council, Team K has focused on oversight and policy critiques, submitting interrogations on topics ranging from media independence to administrative transparency. In January 2024, during Kompatscher's re-election session, Paul Köllensperger, the party's leader, publicly criticized the SVP's explicit alliance with far-right elements as evidence of the party's electoral decline and ideological shift. The party extended its engagement to local levels, contesting the February 2024 municipal elections in Bressanone (Brixen), where it garnered 13.8% of the vote and won three council seats, contributing to a fragmented opposition against the SVP's mayoral victory. In December 2024, Köllensperger accused Kompatscher of undue influence over provincial administration appointments, highlighting tensions over institutional independence. Challenges since 2023 include limited leverage in a coalition-dominated legislature, where Team K's proposals on education and fiscal policy face resistance; for instance, in October 2025, amid a protracted dispute between the province and teachers' unions over contract renewals, the party called for immediate budget allocations to avert escalation, underscoring governance delays under the Kompatscher administration. Internal cohesion and voter retention remain tests, as the party balances appeals to centrist, pro-autonomy constituencies against competition from ethno-nationalist groups like Südtiroler Freiheit, which doubled its support in 2023. These dynamics have prompted Team K to emphasize evidence-based critiques of provincial spending and regulatory bottlenecks, positioning itself as a pragmatic alternative amid regional economic pressures.

Ideology and Policy Positions

Core Ideological Foundations

Team K espouses a centrist rooted in civic , deliberately eschewing the ethnic-linguistic cleavages that dominate South Tyrolean , such as those between German-speaking, Italian-speaking, and Ladin groups. Founded in 2018 by Hanspeter Köllensperger, the positions itself as a non-ethnic, inclusive alternative, prioritizing regional unity and competence-driven governance over traditional affiliations. This approach stems from a critique of entrenched favoritism and , with surveys indicating that approximately 80% of South Tyroleans perceive connections as conferring undue advantages in and . At its foundation, Team K advocates as a paramount principle, emphasizing transparency, , and institutional to combat systemic inefficiencies. Key proposals include establishing a public lobby register, digitizing administrative processes for verifiable , and strengthening the provincial parliament's oversight role through mandatory impact assessments for legislation. The party frames these as essential to restoring , arguing that opaque practices undermine democratic legitimacy in an autonomous region with significant fiscal powers. features prominently, with support for expanded referenda and citizen initiatives, exemplified by Team K's backing of the 2022 Volksbegehren petition drive to embed participatory mechanisms in regional . Social-liberal values underpin Team K's policy framework, integrating environmental sustainability with economic pragmatism and . It promotes pro-European integration, viewing membership as vital for securing South Tyrol's autonomy and funding streams, while endorsing through prioritized and local agriculture preservation. Social policies focus on equitable , such as a "Südtirol-Lohn" benchmark tied to regional productivity and initiatives for 4,000 affordable housing units by 2030 to address shortages exacerbated by tourism-driven speculation. These elements reflect a commitment to the (Gemeinwohl), balancing individual rights with collective welfare without ideological extremism.

Stances on Autonomy, Language Rights, and Regional Identity

Team K strongly advocates for the preservation, expansion, and strengthening of 's autonomy, viewing it as essential to counter encroachments from Italy's central government in . In a September 4, 2021, press release coinciding with Autonomy Day, the party called for making autonomy more effective through proactive defense against national-level interventions that undermine provincial competencies, such as in and administrative powers. The party emphasizes Austria's role as a protective power under the 1946 Gruber-De Gasperi Agreement and subsequent international protections, urging closer cooperation with to safeguard these rights. Regarding language rights, Team K promotes enhanced to foster integration while respecting the province's linguistic diversity, encompassing German, Italian, and Ladin speakers. The party has proposed introducing the model in , which emphasizes trilingual education (German, Italian, and English) from an early age, but this initiative was rejected by the (SVP)-dominated provincial council in a session prior to 2023. Team K supports policies ensuring equal access to services and education in all official languages, critiquing rigid ethnic-language separations in favor of flexible, competence-based approaches that align with EU standards. On regional identity, Team K frames South Tyrolean identity around civic participation, transparency, and shared democratic values rather than strict ethnic affiliations, distinguishing itself from traditional parties like the SVP. The party seeks to cultivate a unified regional consciousness through mechanisms, such as citizen initiatives, and by prioritizing local needs over national or ethnic divisions. This stance reflects their origins as a civic list, appealing to voters across linguistic groups disillusioned with consociational ethnic quotas, while still defending cultural protections embedded in the autonomy statute.

Economic, Environmental, and Social Policies

Team K advocates for a balanced approach to emphasizing fair wages, adaptation to living costs, and labor flexibility. The party proposes introducing a "Südtirol-Lohn" mechanism to combat relative by linking wages to regional economic conditions. It also calls for adjusting salaries in line with and living expenses, alongside negotiating agreements that prioritize flexible working hours and sector-tailored incentives to boost competitiveness. These measures reflect a social-liberal orientation, aiming to sustain South Tyrol's high rates—around 4.5% in 2023—while addressing disparities without heavy regulatory burdens. In environmental policy, Team K prioritizes ecological protection, asserting that landscape preservation, , and must supersede short-term economic gains. The party supports phasing out fossil fuels gradually and positioning as a leader in through neo-ecological models that integrate economy, ecology, and society. Key proposals include expanding rail and infrastructure to reduce emissions, implementing a detailed plan incorporating social and business transition strategies, and enforcing "zero kilometer" sourcing in public procurement alongside principles. Recent initiatives, such as advocating for citizen involvement in environmental decisions and sustainable tourism limits to curb overcrowding at natural sites, underscore commitments to and long-term habitability. Social policies focus on housing affordability, healthcare efficiency, and family support, with targets like constructing 4,000 middle-income homes by 2030 to address shortages amid rising property prices averaging €4,500 per square meter in . Team K seeks to streamline housing subsidies to three months for processing and one month for payments post-approval, while eliminating tax incentives for short-term tourist rentals to favor long-term tenancies and introducing a guarantor fund for landlords and tenants. In healthcare, it pushes for equitable compensation and training for staff, networked IT systems across hospitals and general practitioners, and higher care allowances with reformed assessments to shorten wait times—currently up to nine months despite legal 60-day mandates. Education reforms emphasize systemic overhauls in response to teacher shortages and protests, alongside reduced bureaucracy for volunteer organizations and enhanced support for families and disabled individuals.

Electoral Performance

Provincial Council Elections

Team K first contested provincial council elections in on October 21, 2018, shortly after its founding earlier that year. Running as Team Köllensperger, the party secured 15.2% of the valid list votes, earning 6 seats out of 35 in the Provincial Council. This result positioned it as the second-largest party by vote share, outperforming established competitors and reflecting voter dissatisfaction with traditional groupings amid debates over regional and efficiency. In the subsequent election on October 22, 2023, Team K maintained its representation with 6 seats in the Provincial Council. The party fielded 35 candidates across South Tyrol's districts, emphasizing continuity in its opposition role despite internal adjustments following prior resignations. This steady performance occurred against a backdrop of declining support for the dominant Südtiroler Volkspartei (SVP), which lost seats, while Team K preserved its legislative influence without coalition entanglements. The party's electoral approach has consistently prioritized direct engagement with voters on issues like transparency and provincial administration, contributing to its sustained minority presence in the . No further provincial elections have occurred as of 2025, with the next scheduled for 2028.

European Parliament Elections

Team K participated in the 2024 European Parliament elections through an with Azione, forming part of the national "Siamo Europei" list, which emphasized liberal, reformist, and pro-European positions. This agreement, announced on April 5, 2024, allowed Team K to field Paul Köllensperger, the party's president, as a in the North-Eastern constituency, encompassing . The "Siamo Europei" list secured 3.91% of the national vote on June 8–9, 2024, translating to three seats in the under the group. Köllensperger received approximately 11,251 preference votes, largely concentrated in , reflecting Team K's regional base but falling short of the threshold needed for election, as seats were assigned based on higher national preference totals to other list candidates such as and Alessandra Moretti.

Leadership and Internal Organization

Key Figures and Leadership Transitions


Paul Köllensperger, an entrepreneur and former affiliate of the , founded on July 10, 2018, initially naming it Team Köllensperger after his election to the South Tyrolean Provincial Council earlier that year. Köllensperger has remained the party's leader and chairperson of its parliamentary group since inception, guiding its interethnic, citizen-focused platform.
In November 2019, the party transitioned from its personal branding as Team Köllensperger to the neutral Team K, reflecting a shift toward representation rather than individual prominence. This coincided with efforts to expand beyond Köllensperger's while maintaining his central role. No subsequent changes to the top have occurred, with Köllensperger continuing as the primary figurehead. Prominent figures alongside Köllensperger include provincial councilors Franz Ploner, Alex Ploner, and Maria Elisabeth Rieder, who contribute to the party's legislative activities and public advocacy. In February 2024, Team K elected a renewed executive board (Vorstand) during its general assembly in , enhancing internal motivation and future-oriented governance without altering the core . This update followed electoral gains and aimed at bolstering organizational resilience.

Party Structure and Membership

Team K functions as a rather than a traditional mass-membership party, with its organizational framework defined in its of June 13, 2020. The highest decision-making body is the Assembly of Members (Assemblea dei soci), comprising all registered members, which convenes at least twice annually—once to approve the annual report and budget—and holds authority over electing or revoking the Executive Board, approving programs, and amending the by a two-thirds majority. The Executive Board (Direttivo), elected by the assembly for five-year terms and consisting of 3 to 7 members, handles operational management, including membership admissions, candidate nominations, and representation of the movement. Chaired by the President—who serves as the legal representative—the board currently operates under Paul Köllensperger's leadership, with decisions made by simple majority and the chair's vote breaking ties. Supporting bodies include the Provincial Committee, which incorporates board members, elected officials, and delegates to ratify budgets and alliances; an Advisory Committee; roles such as General Director for administration, Treasurer for finances, and Auditors for oversight; and specialized entities like working groups, election committees, and local units for thematic and territorial coordination. Membership (adesione) is restricted to adults demonstrating active participation in the movement's activities, beginning with supporter status before formal application via a board-approved and of an annual fee set by the board. Members enjoy to vote, candidacy, and assembly participation but bear duties to promote the movement, pay fees, and disclose affiliations—prohibiting membership in conflicting groups, with expulsion possible by two-thirds board vote for breaches. Supporters may attend assemblies without voting at the board's invitation. The movement maintains data for members under EU GDPR compliance, indicating formalized but undisclosed membership rolls. As of available records, no public figures for total membership exist, reflecting its character as a civic-oriented entity focused on active rather than nominal affiliation.

Controversies, Criticisms, and Reception

Major Debates and Criticisms from Traditional Parties

Traditional parties in , led by the (SVP), have primarily criticized Team K for intensifying political fragmentation and destabilizing the province's consociational governance model, which relies on ethnic-language group proportionality for seat allocation and coalition stability. In the October 22, 2023, provincial elections, Team K captured 11.1% of the vote and four seats within the German-language group, contributing to the SVP's decline to 40.5%—its lowest share since 1948—and the loss of an absolute majority. SVP Governor highlighted this "strong fragmentation in the provincial council, even with extreme positions," arguing it complicated and required broader coalitions, including with ideologically distant partners like the . The SVP has further contended that civic-oriented lists like Team K erode the ethnic-based autonomist consensus that underpins South Tyrol's stability, by drawing votes from traditional German-speaking autonomists without fully committing to consociational norms. This shift, evident since Team K's 2018 debut when it gained 5 seats as a former splinter, has been linked by SVP figures to centrifugal pressures weakening the province's negotiated autonomy with . Center-left parties, such as the Democratic Party (PD), have accused Team K of unreliability and vote-splitting in electoral alliances, particularly at the municipal level. During Bolzano's May 2025 municipal elections, Team K's independent candidacy and subsequent abstention from endorsing center-left ballotage candidates were blamed for undermining broad progressive coalitions, with PD insiders viewing the move as an attempt to prioritize civic identity over unified opposition to right-wing advances. This echoed prior tensions, where Team K's demands for specific candidates, like in the February 2025 coalition talks, led to its withdrawal from potential pacts, fracturing the "campo largo" against the center-right. Right-leaning traditional parties like Lega have sporadically critiqued Team K as an extension of anti-system , ill-suited to South Tyrol's consensus-driven politics, though such views often manifest in opposition to Team K's exclusion from SVP-led majorities post-2023. Overall, these debates underscore traditional parties' concerns that Team K's emphasis on and transparency, while resonating with voters disillusioned by incumbents, risks governance paralysis in a region where multi-ethnic equilibria have historically prioritized stability over ideological purity.

Achievements in Policy Advocacy and Electoral Gains

Team K achieved its initial electoral breakthrough in the South Tyrolean provincial council elections, securing 15.2% of the vote and six seats in the 35-seat , positioning it as the third-largest force behind the dominant Südtiroler Volkspartei (SVP) and emerging challengers. This result marked a rapid ascent for the newly founded party, drawing support from voters disillusioned with traditional autonomist parties and emphasizing themes of transparency and administrative efficiency. In the 2023 provincial elections, amid increased fragmentation with 12 parties entering the , Team K obtained approximately 11% of the vote and four seats, retaining a significant opposition presence despite a decline from 2018 levels and competition from right-wing and independentist groups. The party maintained key figures like Alex Ploner, who received nearly 6,000 preference votes, underscoring localized voter loyalty in urban areas such as . On policy advocacy, Team K has influenced administrative reforms through persistent criticism of opaque governance practices, notably contributing to the 2025 redesign of the Trentino-Alto Adige Regional Council's website, which addressed long-standing complaints about cumbersome information access and poor transparency. Operating primarily in opposition, the party has prioritized pushing for enhanced accountability and civic participation, though direct legislative attributions remain limited by its non-coalition status. These efforts have amplified debates on and within South Tyrol's autonomist framework, without evidence of systemic enactment beyond oppositional pressure.

Public and Media Reception

Team K has garnered consistent but modest public support in , with recent polling data from the Südtiroler Wirtschaftszeitung's October 2025 Politbarometer placing the party at approximately 11% of voter preference among German-speaking voters, stable from prior surveys and reflecting a niche appeal among those dissatisfied with the long-dominant Südtiroler Volkspartei (SVP) system. This level of backing positions Team K as a persistent opposition voice, particularly resonant with voters prioritizing transparency, measures, and administrative reforms, though it has not expanded significantly beyond its core base since its 2018 breakthrough. Local media outlets, including Alto Adige and Tageszeitung, frequently cover Team K's initiatives, portraying the party as a vocal critic of provincial governance on issues like , management, and public spending inefficiencies, often highlighting rejected proposals such as a social or enhanced lobbyist registries. Coverage tends to emphasize the party's confrontational stance toward the SVP-led coalition, with reports framing Team K's advocacy for and fiscal accountability as principled but frequently thwarted by majority votes. Instances of internal or voter backlash, such as social media criticism of leadership decisions in , appear limited and episodic, without derailing broader media depiction as a reform-oriented alternative. South Tyrolean media, while generally factual in reporting Team K's parliamentary activities, occasionally reflect governing parties' dismissals of its proposals as unrealistic or overly populist, as seen in critiques of initiatives like water protection enhancements or projects labeled as wasteful. This portrayal aligns with the party's outsider status, where mainstream outlets prioritize coverage of policy clashes over unqualified endorsement, underscoring a reception tempered by from pro-autonomy sources.

References

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