Trieste No Election Day 2014
UPDATE: in October 2014, Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, answered to Free Trieste’s complaint. Read about it HERE.
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On Thursday, 24 April [2014] at 6PM, in its Piazza della Borsa 7 office, Free Trieste presents the new “NO ELECTION DAY” campaign.
Free Trieste invites Trieste’s citizens and residents to go to the polling station on 25 May, but not to cast a vote. Instead, the Movement asks them to lodge a declaration detailing why they are refusing to vote.
Just like in 2013, the declaration questions the legitimacy of Italian elections in municipalities that belong to the Free Territory of Trieste. In 2014, the municipalities concerned are: Sgonico-Zgonik, Repentabor and Dolina.
The previous “NO ELECTION DAY” campaign was successful: more than 1500 citizens lodged Free Trieste’s declarations at the polling stations. Many more marched in the streets calling for Trieste’s own and fair elections. Finally, 57 citizens challenged the summoning of Regional elections before the local Regional Administrative Court.
However, the 2014 NO ELECTION DAY campaign is also focusing on European elections.
Legal bases:
Since 1947, Trieste is the capital city of a sovereign State, the Free Territory of Trieste. Since 1954, Trieste’s administration is entrusted to the Italian Government’s responsibility.
Indeed, the 1954 Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Free Territory of Trieste provides that the Italian Government must respect Trieste’s own independent legislation.
From 1947 to 1954, Trieste’s British-US Government allowed the people of the Free Territory to vote with their own laws.
The Italian Government should do just the same. Italy has no right to summon its elections in Trieste as it cannot summon them in any other foreign State.
Additionally, Trieste has never joined the European Union. The Italian Government has never taken care to inform Community authority about its double role either.
The 2014 “No Election Day” campaign:
Starting on Thursday, 24 April [2014], Free Trieste’s website is providing a PDF version of the declaration to lodge at the polling stations. The document does also include instructions.
From the following week, the declarations are available in Piazza della Borsa 7 and at the Movement’s info points around the city.
Press Office of the Free Trieste Movement
Banners promoting Free Trieste’s No Election Day campaign. Free Trieste is not a political party, it does not run in elections, and it does not endorse parties, lists, candidates, or ideologies.