 These organizations included the Slovene Christian Social Union ("Slovenska krščansko socialna zveza", SKSZ), led by Engelbert Besednjak and Avgust Sfiligoj; the liberal Slovene Democratic Union ("Slovenska demokratska zveza", SDZ), led by Josip Agneletto and Andrej Uršič; and the social-democratic Group of Independent Slovenes ("Skupina neodvisnih Slovencev", SNS), led by Josip Ferfolja, Frane Tončič and Dušan Rybář.All these groups shared an anti-fascist ideology, they were opposed to Italian nationalism and centralism, as well as to the Communist regime of the nearby Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.Coming from different ideological background, but sharing similar programs, these groups soon established a close collaboration, creating many joint lists in municipal and provincial elections.