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A banknote worth 10 fioritos - or exactly €20 - as is now used in the Principality of Filettino. The face on the note is that of mayor Luca Sellari. Principality of Filettino
Euro Vision
Italian town prints its own currency - and wants to declare independence
The ‘Filettino experiment’ could be an interesting one – with most in the town, population 598, favouring independence.
8.50am, 30 Aug 2011
3.6k
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AN ITALIAN TOWN has begun to print its own currency – and wants to declare independence – in protest at government plans to merge small towns in an ambitious cost-cutting drive.
Filettino, which lies around 60 miles to the east of Rome, has a population of 598 – a population small enough to see the town officially merged with a neighbour under the emergency cost-cutting Budget currently before the Italian parliament.
The move is set to affect just under 2,000 towns – and while some of them have taken to appealing for Libyan refugees, hoping to cross the 1,000-population threshold that safeguards their status, Filettino’s plans are a little more ambitious.
Instead of merging with nearby Trevi, as Reuters reports, mayor Luca Sellari – who has only been in charge for three months – instead wants to secede from the Italian Republic, declare independence, and live as an independent entity.
Italy as a country has only existed in its current shape for less than two centuries – forged across the 19th century through the gradual amalgamation of city-states – with many rural areas still fiercely proud of their local traditions.
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In Filettino’s case, the merger programme has been particularly badly received, especially since the town had previously boasted a population close to 3,000 – well above the threshold that would have been needed to maintain its individual status.
The New York Times reports that Sellari has already started forging a distinct local economy – with the local currency, the Fiorito, pegged to the euro (one fiorito is worth €2 – meaning the town could already boast an exports advantage) and already being used to buy t-shirts and liquor bearing the town’s coat of arms.
Opponents of the government’s merger programme say that local mayors and councils only cost the Italian state less than €6m a year – around the same amount that the taxpayer spends on the restaurant in the Chamber of Deputies, the 630-member lower house of parliament.
Last week the government backtracked on the programme, saying towns could keep their individual statuses, but that they will still have to perform as-yet-undefined “fundamental functions” on a collective basis by 2013.
But the ‘Principality of Filettino’ project is to continue, with Sellari saying: “We aim to achieve real autonomy from Italy, and we have the resources to do it.”
As the prince-in-waiting himself admits: “It’s everyone’s dream to be a prince.”
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If immigration was apparently the top issue, and the single-issue far-right anti-immigrant parties couldn’t even get seats, then there is no hope for them lol. The current govt who have been overseeing the migration “issue” is reelected. This echo chamber won’t be happy and clearly doesn’t reflect the rest of the nation.
@9QRixo8H: these people predominately exist on social media and are based on foreign soil. They absolutely do not represent the views of the vast majority of Irish people
ming has worked tirelessly to call out hypocrisy corruption and general BS since he started in his career.. he is one of the most honest politicians I’ve ever come across.. he actually wants to improve our country.. most politicians are just spouting about whatever topical soundbites are currently fashionable to have an opinion on, while behind the scenes being only interested in lining their pockets.. this man is the real deal.. just my opinion..
@Oh Mammy: Think he supports FFG, who have topped the polls. How many votes did your far right parties get? You’ve all been very quiet licking those wounds.
At least he called out the agribusiness lobby. On a radio discussion some idiot tried to raise the “derogation issue.
Ming pointed out that it affected some 300 farmers in the constituency out of 13,000 and asked why it should be discussed.
No. 1 for me!
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