In March 2016 the PATT held its congress. Four candidates have filed to become secretary: they include outgoing secretary and senator Panizza (whose supporters notably include Rossi), the party's deputy Ottobre, Dario Chilovi (supported by Kaswalder) and Giuseppe Corona (representing the "Tyrolean" separatist wing). With Panizza as the clear favourite, Kaswalder, who increasingly represented the party's conservative wing and had taken a critical approach on Rossi's presidency. repeatedly tried to forge an agreement between the four candidates in order to have a jointly elected secretary Finally, Panizza and Kaswalder found an agreement under which Chilovi would retire his candidacy for secretary and endorse Panizza, while both camps would support Carlo Pedergnana for president. Consequently, both Chilovi and Ottobre retired from the race, but Ottobre, who was very critical of the pact, chose to run for president instead.