Plebiscito.eu

Plebiscito.eu, originally known as Plebiscite 2013 (Italian: Plebiscito 2013, P2013), is a supposedly cross-party nonpartisan committee that campaigns for the independence of Veneto from Italy. Its main leaders have been Lodovico Pizzati, a former secretary of Venetian Independence (IV), one of the most active Venetist-separatist parties so far, and Gianluca Busato, who came to regional prominence in March 2014 as the main organiser of the plebiscito, an online referendum on independence.

History

Background and formation

Main article: Venetian nationalism § Recent developments

The committee is part of a long-time effort started in November 2012 with the endorsement by the Regional Council of Veneto of resolution 44/2012 on the self-determination of the Venetian people through a referendum. In April 2013 Stefano Valdegamberi, a regional councillor of the Union of the Centre and later of Popular Future, introduced a bill (342/2013) in order to call a referendum on independence by the end of the year.[1][2][3][4][5] By 7 June the bill was endorsed by more than 15 regional councillors, sufficient to convene a special session of the Council on the issue.[6][7] Also several municipal councils endorsed the bill.[8]

In June 2013 Pizzati formed a joint separatist cartel with Valdegamberi of Popular Future (FP), Antonio Guadagnini of Veneto State (VS), Fabrizio Comencini of Liga Veneta Repubblica (LVR), other Venetist groups, associations and individuals.[9] Subsequently, on 7 July, Pizzati launched P2013, which has since been endorsed by politicians from different parties, activists, intellectuals, professionals and entrepreneurs.[10][11][12] They notably included Franco Rocchetta,[13] founder and early leader of Liga Veneta (and former federal president of Lega Nord), who returned to active politics after virtually 20 years of absence from the political scene.[14]

The birth of P2013 caused a rift within IV as some members, led by president Luca Azzano Cantarutti, rejected Pizzati's initiative and formed Let Veneto Decide, which was endorsed by Valdegamberi, VS, LVR, Raixe Venete, Veneto First, Independentist Youth, other Venetist groups and individuals (see article).

In October P2013 launched Veneto Business, a platform for separatist entrepreneurs, in partnership with Business for Scotland.[15][16][17]

Online referendum on independence

Main article: Venetian independence referendum, 2014

In November P2013 launched Plebiscito.eu, an online referendum to be held in each and every municipality of Veneto on 16 February 2014.[18][19] The leadership of the initiative was taken by Gianluca Busato, a software entrepreneur and long-time Venetist activist, whose firm powered the digital consultation.[20][21]

The vote, with no official recognition, was later postponed and took place from 16 to 21 March 2014.[20][22][23][24]

According to Plebiscito.eu's staff, 2.36 million Venetians (63.2% of all eligible voters) participated in the online referendum and 89.1% of them (that is to say 56.6% of all eligible voters) voted yes.[25][26] This was enough for P2013 to proclaim Veneto's independence from Italy in Treviso on the night of 21 March.[27][28][29]

In the poll, ten "delegates for independence" were elected too: Gianluca Busato was the preferred candidate with 135,306 votes, followed by Stefano Vescovi (48,320), Selena Veronese (46,947), Silvia Gandin (43,025), Lodovico Pizzati (25,731), Gianfranco Favaro (16,670), Raffaele Serafini (16,627), Manuel Carraro (16,627), Gianluca Panto (16,321) and Paolo Bernardini (16,299). Finally, voters were asked to express their opinion on three "foreign policy issues", where Veneto to become independent: adoption of the Euro (supported by 51.4% of voters), accession to European Union membership (supported by 55.7% of voters) and accession to NATO membership (supported by 64.5% of voters); turnout was however much lower for these three questions (24.6%, 22.3% and 19.8%, respectively).[25][26]

The reliability of these results was contested by a number of analysts, while some pollsters confirmed Venetians' support of independence (see here).

Aftermath of the referendum

The day after the referendum, Busato announced that the separatist process generated by the referendum was to be led by Veneto Yes (Italian: Veneto Sì), which would be transformed "from committee for yes to independence to a political organisation which will defend the results obtained with the declaration of independence".[30][31]

P2013, whose goal was reached, was basically supplanted by Plebiscito.eu, engaged in the "structuring of the Venetian Republic", and Veneto Yes.[32][33]

According to Plebiscito.eu, the self-proclaimed "Venetian Republic" has two "legitimate organs": the "Delegation of Ten",[34] comprising the aforementioned elects, and the "Treasury".[35] The latter was established with the self-styled "Decree 2/2014 of the Venetian Republic", issued by the Delegation of Ten on 22 April, and was initially composed by Cristiano Zanin (treasurer), Stefano Venturato (counselor), Gianfranco Favaro (counselor) and Lodovico Pizzati (consultant).[36]

In September 2014 Plebiscito.eu and the "Venetian Republic" experienced an internal reshuffle, which brought to the abandonment of leading roles by several founding members of the committee, notably including Pizzati, Zanin, Gianluca Panto, Manuel Carraro and Giovanni Dalla-Valle.[37][38][39] The latter, along with Franco Rocchetta and Andrea Arman, distanced from the Venetist organisation over disagreements with the Delegation of Ten.[40][41]

In March 2015 Plebiscito.eu organised an "election of the Provisional Parliament of the Venetian Republic".[42][43] in which Veneto Yes elected a large majority of the deputies.[44]

Leadership

References

  1. ^ "Consiglio Regionale Veneto - Sala stampa". Consiglioveneto.it. 2013-04-02. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  2. ^ "Progetto di legge 342". Indipendenza Veneta. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  3. ^ "Valdegamberi e Lanzarin sull'indipendenza del Veneto". Indipendenza Veneta. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  4. ^ "Venezie Post" (in Italian). Nordesteuropa.it. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  5. ^ "Valdegamberi protocolla progetto indipendentista". Indipendenza Veneta. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  6. ^ "Consiglio straordinario bis per l'indipendenza veneta - Corriere del Veneto". Corrieredelveneto.corriere.it. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  7. ^ "IL CONSIGLIO STRAORDINARIO SI FARA' IL 27 GIUGNO". Indipendenza Veneta. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  8. ^ "Legge referendaria per l'indipendenza del Veneto | Plebiscito2013". Plebiscito2013.eu. Archived from the original on 2015-02-27. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  9. ^ "Cartello indipendentista per il referendum - Regione - Il Mattino di Padova". Mattinopadova.gelocal.it. 2013-06-26. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  10. ^ "Chi siamo | Plebiscito2013". Plebiscito2013.eu. Archived from the original on 2018-07-12. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  11. ^ "Testimonial | Plebiscito2013.eu". Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  12. ^ "Referendum Veneto: raggiunte 20 firme per convocare il Consiglio regionale | L'Indipendenza Nuova". Lindipendenza.com. 2013-07-10. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  13. ^ "Franco Rocchetta testimonial di Plebiscito2013.eu: "La Repubblica Veneta del XXI secolo" | Plebiscito2013". Plebiscito2013.eu. Archived from the original on 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  14. ^ "Il Veneto urla "indipendenza". C'è il quorum. C'è il sì | L'intraprendente". Lintraprendente.it. 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  15. ^ "Veneto Business si presenta in anteprima questa sera a Chiampo (VI) | Plebiscito2013". Plebiscito2013.eu. 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  16. ^ "COS'E' VENETO BUSINESS | Piattaforma internazionale per imprenditori veneti". Venetobusiness.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-27. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  17. ^ "Dichiarazione di Veneto Business | Piattaforma internazionale per imprenditori veneti". Venetobusiness.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-27. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  18. ^ "IL PLEBISCITO DIGITALE SEGUE IL "METODO BERTOLISSI" PER DARE LA VOCE AI CITTADINI VENETI | Plebiscito2013". Plebiscito2013.eu. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  19. ^ "IL PLEBISCITO DIGITALE SI TERRÀ IL 16 FEBBRAIO IN TUTTO IL VENETO | Plebiscito2013". Plebiscito2013.eu. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  20. ^ a b "ŤIndipendenza, 700 mila votiť Scontro sul referendum digitale - Corriere del Veneto". Corrieredelveneto.corriere.it. 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  21. ^ "Il Veneto e il referendum per l'indipendenza (come la Crimea) | Panorama". News.panorama.it. 2014-03-20. Archived from the original on 2014-06-13. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  22. ^ "INDETTO IL PLEBISCITO PER L'INDIPENDENZA DEL VENETO DAL 16 MARZO AL 21 MARZO 2014 | Plebiscito2013". Plebiscito2013.eu. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  23. ^ "BBC News - Venice votes on splitting from Rome". Bbc.com. 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  24. ^ Willan, Philip (2014-03-18). "Venetians vote to say arrivederci to Italy". The Times. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  25. ^ a b "REFERENDUM DI INDIPENDENZA DEL VENETO: I RISULTATI | Repubblica Veneta, federale, indipendente, libera e sovrana". Blog.plebiscito.eu. Archived from the original on 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  26. ^ a b "Veneto Libero, Indipendente (nella Nato in Europa e con l'Euro Il Problema è lo STATO ITALIANO) - Rischio Calcolato". Rischiocalcolato.it. Archived from the original on 2014-03-22. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  27. ^ "Referendum indipendenza Veneto: 2 milioni di sì - Rai News". Rainews.it. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  28. ^ "In mille dichiarano l'indipendenza ŤOra Zaia puň solo inseguirciť - Corriere del Veneto". Corrieredelveneto.corriere.it. 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  29. ^ Kington, Tom (2014-03-21). "Veneto residents support leaving Italy in unofficial referendum". Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  30. ^ "A TUTTO CAMPO | Veneto Sì, a difesa dell'indipendenza della Repubblica Veneta". Venetosi.org. 2014-03-22. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  31. ^ "Dopo il referendum, nasce il partito". Ilgazzettino.it. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  32. ^ "Veneto Sì, a difesa dell'indipendenza della Repubblica Veneta | Veneto Sì, a difesa dell'indipendenza della Repubblica Veneta". Venetosi.org. 2014-04-19. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  33. ^ "VENETO SÌ: TUTTI RICONOSCANO L'INDIPENDENZA DELLA REPUBBLICA VENETA | Veneto Sì, a difesa dell'indipendenza della Repubblica Veneta". Venetosi.org. 2014-04-20. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  34. ^ "DELEGAZIONE DEI 10 | Repubblica Veneta, federale, indipendente, libera e sovrana". Plebiscito.eu. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  35. ^ "TESORERIA | Repubblica Veneta, federale, indipendente, libera e sovrana". Plebiscito.eu. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  36. ^ "ISTITUZIONE DELLA TESORERIA DELLA REPUBBLICA VENETA | Repubblica Veneta, federale, indipendente, libera e sovrana". Plebiscito.eu. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  37. ^ "TESORERIA DELLA REPUBBLICA VENETA | Repubblica Veneta, federale, indipendente, libera e sovrana". Plebiscito.eu. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  38. ^ "DUE NUOVI DELEGATI FANNO IL LORO INGRESSO NELLA DELEGAZIONE DEI DIECI | Republica Veneta - Venetian Republic - Repubblica Veneta". Republica Veneta. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  39. ^ "MARIO SANDRIN ENTRA NELLA DELEGAZIONE DEI DIECI | Republica Veneta - Venetian Republic - Repubblica Veneta". Republica Veneta. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  40. ^ "Maretta Totale In Plebiscito.Eu. Rocchetta E Altri Vogliono Chiarezza - Miglioverde". Miglioverde.eu. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  41. ^ "Alla Delegazione dei Dieci : Consiglio dei Dieci Delegati della Repubblica Veneta" (PDF). Miglioverde.eu. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  42. ^ "Legge Elettorale per l'elezione del Parlamento Provvisorio della Repubblica Veneta". 2015-01-03.
  43. ^ "Repubblica Veneta: Parlamento e governo provvisori, poi voto » VicenzaPiù".
  44. ^ "PARLAMENTO VENETO: I RISULTATI DELLE ELEZIONI 2015 | Movimento per l'indipendenza del Veneto". 22 March 2015.