Venice Independence Referendum

[Syt]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26604044

Venice votes in referendum on splitting from Rome

Voting has begin in Venice and the surrounding region on whether to break away from Italy.

Recent opinion polls suggest that two thirds of the four million electorate favour splitting from Rome, but the vote will not be legally binding.

The poll was organised by local activists and parties, who want a future state called Republic of Veneto.

This would be reminiscent of the sovereign Venetian republic that existed for more than 1,000 years.

A focal point for culture, architecture and trade, Venice lost its independence to Napoleon in 1797.

Online voting is due to continue until Friday.

The vote received very little coverage in Italy's national media but the organisers said they expected as many as two million people to take part.

The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says the vote reflects a growing separatist mood in parts of Europe, such as Spain's Catalonia region and Scotland, which votes on whether to become independent in September.

Moves towards independence often evoke more sympathy in wealthy northern Italy, where many resent what they see as the poorer south's waste and corruption.

Luca Zaia, governor of Veneto, the Venice region, rejected suggestions that the Italian constitution would prevent secession.

International law, he told Il Quotidiano, allowed "the right to self-determination"

[The Brain]

Makes sense that the governor of Venice lives on the second floor.

[Maladict]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26604044

This would be reminiscent of the sovereign Venetian republic that existed for more than 1,000 years.

No, it would be reminiscent of a crypto-fascist state.
It's not 1848 anymore.

[Neil]

Balkanization is the new normal.

[Pedrito]

...now I understand why some friends today posted "I voted" on their Facebook.

The media coverage of this fake vote is so inexistent that I buy every day a local newspaper, and it never happened to speak about it.

This doesn't mean that I do not approve a secession from Italy. 

L.

[Duque de Bragança]

What's the position of the Lega Nord on this matter?

[Valmy]

Oh for Godsake.  Europe really aims to be as useless a place as possible.

[Valmy]

This doesn't mean that I do not approve a secession from Italy. 

You make zombie Garibaldi cry.

[Lettow77]

I've been following this for quite some time. Venetian independence is of course highly desirable.

[Habbaku]

 

[CountDeMoney]

Oh for Godsake.  Europe really aims to be as useless a place as possible.

It's Italy, dude.  They've been at this nonsense since before Machiavelli.

[Ed Anger]

This makes me twirl my hands rapidly.

[alfred russel]

I've been following this for quite some time. Venetian independence is of course highly desirable.

I remember you speaking of the potential for a space Venice.

[Jacob]

I'm not worried until Russian troops show up.

[Ed Anger]

I've been following this for quite some time. Venetian independence is of course highly desirable.

I remember you speaking of the potential for a space Venice.

Space French served by nigger robots in a generational spaceship.