Free Trieste

ITALIAN NATIONALISM AND THE FREE TERRITORY OF TRIESTE

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Italian nationalism is the one current that reacted most strongly against the awakening of the struggles for Trieste’s independence.

Theirs is not some outright opposition to the idea that the Free Territory of Trieste exists since 1947; indeed, considering the recession that affects the Italian State, even the most “patriotic” fan of the tricolor flag would hardly win some support for such anacronistic propagandas.

What they did was an attempt to disrupt the Free Trieste Movement‘s legitimate claims. This organization represents all the people of Trieste who claim their rights established under the 1947 Treaty of Peace as well as being the Movement that promotes all complaints regarding Question Trieste.

The Italian nationalists have two goals: discrediting and ridiculing the Movement on one side, attempting to break it from the inside on the other.

The operation, in the planning since 2012, is a reaction to Free Trieste’s increasing popularity and very successful demonstrations.

It was all about “activating” some individuals who infiltrated the Movement, opening an internal fracture, questioning the Movement’s policy.

All while “defunding” the Movement, which depends on donations and volunteer work. Indeed, the same infiltrated people could easily do it, and possibly “distract” the money for the sake of antagonistic groups.

What best way to slow down (even better, to annihilate) Free Trieste’s legal actions? Especially considering that those lawsuits were about to become international. Just imagine the Italian authority’s embarrassment…

Obviously, there were also Italian State structures involved. This is a kind of structures very active on the Italian Eastern border. It is secret, but also deviant structures. One such organization is the never dissolved “Gladio 2” network.

None of this is new to this area; they disappear and come back as needed. Their main mission is destabilizing the former Yugoslav area supporting Italian nationalistic revanchism.

Follows an analysis providing the framework of the recent events involving Trieste’s main popular organization. Free Trieste: the one standing for legality and the rule of law in the present-day Free Territory.

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QUESTION TRIESTE – FREE TERRITORY FREE
TRIESTE MOVEMENT: SCISSION

Free Trieste – Trieste Libera – Svobodni Trst is Trieste’s main political Movement. It stands for the rights of the Free Territory of Trieste, an independent State since 1947, provided with the only existing international Free Port. Since 1954, the present-day Free Territory’s (Zone A’s) administration is sub-entrusted to the Italian Government by the Governments of the US and of the UK on behalf of the UNSC.

In its complaints, Free Trieste addresses both Italian and international authorities.

The Italians are addressed under the Memorandum of Understanding providing for Trieste’s temporary civil administration (the one local authorities turned into a simulation of sovereignty). Free Trieste’s international acts are addressed to the UNSC under its Resolution S/RES/16 (1947) regarding its role in protecting the Free Territory’s integrity and independence.

According to the Italian authorities, since 1977 Zone A belongs to Italy under the bilateral Italian-Yugoslav agreement of Osimo. However, Free Trieste studied Osimo: at art. 7 it confirms the MoU and Trieste’s independence with it.

Free Trieste’s actions only regard the s.c. “Zone A” and the international Free Port. The question of former Zone B is closed. The area’s legal status has changed in 1992, when it was recognized as sovereign territory of the new independent Republics of Slovenia and Croatia.

The present-day Free Territory of Trieste (since 1992).

The present-day Free Territory of Trieste (since 1992).

Free Trieste obtained many successes questioning the simulation of Italian sovereignty over Trieste, and helping many citizens question the Italian State’s jurisdiction in their State. On September 15th, 2013 thousand of people (about 8,000) to the demonstration celebrating Trieste’s Independence Day.

The local nationalistic “camorra” considers Free Trieste’s actions dangerous for its own business. The Movement is kept under control. After September 15th, 2013, the control intensifies. Stopping Free Trieste becomes a priority.

Still, actions from the inside prove the best to destabilize the Movement. Free Trieste’s weaknesses are well-known. All it takes is “activating” the people infiltrated within it. They were since the Movement’s establishment, and increased as Free Trieste gained support.

Taking advantages of this situation, the crisis: on one side to ruin the Movement’s public image, on the other side to march off to the 2016 local election.

A double goal. Practically, an attempt to destroy the Movement standing for legality, turning it into a “softer” pro-autonomy party, in the footprints of the former Lista per Trieste.

It results that Free Trieste’s funders are the same of a British-law LLC named Triest. After the Movement’s split, the loyal representatives standing for the present-day Free Territory and unwilling to compromise with Italy are expelled from “Triest NGO”.

London-based TRIEST “NGO” should have promoted the international lawsuits for the present-day Free Territory but at this point it is rather doubtful. After the “golpe” TRIEST is under the dissident group’s control,  aiming at re-opening the question of former Zone B together with the new group established after Free Trieste’s split, “Movimento Territorio Libero 3” (TL3 as in Cubic Free Territory). Even with destabilizing actions against Slovenia and Croatia.

TL3 is against Free Trieste’s position about former Zone B. Which, again, belongs to Slovenia and to Croatia. They are acting just like Italian nationalistic groups. Groups that receive plenty of money from Italy.

Translated from blog “Ambiente e legalità” – “Environment and Legality” by Roberto Giurastante

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