European Federalist Free Entrepreneurs
Encyclopedia
The European Federalist Free Entrepreneurs - Entrepreneurs' Trade Union (Liberi Imprenditori Federalisti Europei - Sindacato Imprenditori, LIFE) is an association of entrepreneurs based in Veneto
, one of the regions of Italy
.
It was founded in 1994 by a group of venetist
entrepreneurs (among them Fabio Padovan
and Diego Cancian) who were demanding fiscal federalism
for Veneto
, as an answer to what they called "the fiscal and bureaucratic oppression" of the Italian State
, perceived as centralist and distant from the interests and the rights of the "Venetian People". In particular, they decided to organize themselves as a trade union
, saying that they were the most oppressed workers in Italy.
LIFE defends and represents primarily the interests of small and medium-sized businesses (which are under-represented in big-business dominated Confindustria
, Italian employers' federation, and takes a libertarian
stance against big government
bureaucracy and monopolies.
Some of them were also involved in politics and especially in the Liga Veneta
-Lega Nord's ranks, even if most of them were soon disillusioned about it, perceived as too much moderate and Lombardy
-centred, and tempted to form alternative venetist parties. Between them it is to remember: Fabio Padovan (member of the Chamber of Deputies
for Liga Veneta-Lega Nord in 1992-94, founder of Fronte Marco Polo
in 2000 and founding member of Liga Fronte Veneto
in 2001), Giorgio Panto
(member of Liga Veneta-Lega Nord and founder of North-East Project
in 2004) and Diego Cancian (member of Liga Veneta-Lega Nord and regional councilor for North-East Project from 2005).
Since its foundation LIFE started to evolve to be a more broadly-based association and indeed in the last years it gained strength among entrepreneurs of Lombardy, Piedmont
and Friuli-Venezia Giulia
. During its history it cooperated both with regionalist movements all around Northern Italy and with the free-market libertarian Bonino List
and, in general, with the Italian Radicals
, maintaining even a radio
program at Radio Radicale
.
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, one of the regions of Italy
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
.
It was founded in 1994 by a group of venetist
Venetism
Venetian nationalism is an ideology and a regionalist movement demanding more autonomy, or even independence from Italy, for Veneto, and promoting the re-discovery the Republic of Venice's heritage, traditions, culture and language...
entrepreneurs (among them Fabio Padovan
Fabio Padovan
Member of the Liga Veneta-Lega Nord, Fabio Padovan was deputy at the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 1992 to 1994 and leader of the European Federalist Free Entrepreneurs , an organization defending the little and medium-sized industries in Veneto....
and Diego Cancian) who were demanding fiscal federalism
Fiscal federalism
As a subfield of public economics, fiscal federalism is concerned with "understanding which functions and instruments are best centralized and which are best placed in the sphere of decentralized levels of government"...
for Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, as an answer to what they called "the fiscal and bureaucratic oppression" of the Italian State
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, perceived as centralist and distant from the interests and the rights of the "Venetian People". In particular, they decided to organize themselves as a trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, saying that they were the most oppressed workers in Italy.
LIFE defends and represents primarily the interests of small and medium-sized businesses (which are under-represented in big-business dominated Confindustria
Confindustria
Confindustria is the Italian employers' federation, founded in 1910. It groups together more than 113,000 voluntary member companies, accounting for nearly 4,200,000 individuals. It aims to help Italy's economic growth, assisting, in doing so, its members...
, Italian employers' federation, and takes a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
stance against big government
Big government
Big government is a term generally used by political conservatives, laissez-faire advocates, or libertarians to describe a government or public sector which they consider to be excessively large, corrupt and inefficient, or inappropriately involved in certain areas of public policy or the private...
bureaucracy and monopolies.
Some of them were also involved in politics and especially in the Liga Veneta
Liga Veneta
Liga Veneta is a regionalist political party based in Veneto, combining Venetism and fiscal federalism. Liga Veneta is by far the largest party in Veneto and the party of Luca Zaia, President of Veneto since March 2010.It was the first party of its kind in Northern Italy, predating Umberto...
-Lega Nord's ranks, even if most of them were soon disillusioned about it, perceived as too much moderate and Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
-centred, and tempted to form alternative venetist parties. Between them it is to remember: Fabio Padovan (member of the Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
for Liga Veneta-Lega Nord in 1992-94, founder of Fronte Marco Polo
Fronte Marco Polo
Fronte Marco Polo was a Venetist political party active in Veneto, named after Marco Polo.Fabio Padovan, leader of the European Federalist Free Entrepreneurs and former deputy of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord, and Giorgio Vido, another former deputy of LV–LN, formed FMP in 1999 in view of the 2000...
in 2000 and founding member of Liga Fronte Veneto
Liga Fronte Veneto
Liga Veneta Repubblica is a Venetist political party. The party maintains a mildly independentist position and campaingns the self-government of Veneto....
in 2001), Giorgio Panto
Giorgio Panto
Giorgio Panto was an Italian Venetist entrepreneur and politician.Panto was born at Meolo, in the Province of Venice...
(member of Liga Veneta-Lega Nord and founder of North-East Project
North-East Project
North-East Project is a Venetist, fiscal federalist and libertarian Italian political party based in Veneto, demanding larger autonomy, if not complete independence for the region.-History:...
in 2004) and Diego Cancian (member of Liga Veneta-Lega Nord and regional councilor for North-East Project from 2005).
Since its foundation LIFE started to evolve to be a more broadly-based association and indeed in the last years it gained strength among entrepreneurs of Lombardy, Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
and Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
. During its history it cooperated both with regionalist movements all around Northern Italy and with the free-market libertarian Bonino List
Bonino List
Bonino List was a strongly libertarian Radical electoral list active in the 1990s and the 2000s in Italy. Named for Emma Bonino, a leading Radical who had been member of the European Commission from 1995 to 1999 , after the unsuccessful "Emma for President" campaign, it was the successor of the...
and, in general, with the Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was...
, maintaining even a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
program at Radio Radicale
Radio Radicale
Radio Radicale is the official radio station of Partito Radicale in Italy.It was founded in the seventies, along with the "Radio libere"....
.