A report in English after Chivasso Day (Chivasso, 16 December 2023) - from Autonomie e Ambiente interterritorial secretariat
Florence, 18 December 2023
On 16 December 2023, EFA and “Autonomie e Ambiente” (AeA - Autonomies and Environment Pact) celebrated in Chivasso (Piedmont, Italian Republic) the 80° anniversary of the Charter of Chivasso. AeA, we remind, is a network of territorial movements which are active in different territories and regions of the Italian Republic. The network is led by “Patto per l’Autonomia Friuli – Venezia Giulia”, EFA member party.
It was a day of political inspiration. As Émile Chanoux, the autonomist and anti-fascist martyr, who was one of the Chivasso Declaration’s author, once said: what was written in Chivasso by Alpine autonomists applies to all regions, all territories, all peoples. The Charter of Chivasso, published on 19 December 1943, projected ancient confederalist principles into modernity. Now it's up to us to feel Chivasso’s joy and hope, and to let it spread, awaken, unite territorial forces and pro-selfgovernment experiences. An English accurate translation of the Charter can be read here.
Early in the morning EFA and AeA delegations have paid homage to the workers who died last August in Brandizzo, near Chivasso. Those young people who fall at work are considered by AeA to be victims of centralism, which makes lives precarious and unsafe, destroying local public services’ quality and safety.
The Charter was celebrated in front of “Palazzo Tesio”, in Chivasso, where it was written, at the presence of representatives of more than a dozen of different political movements from all over Italy.
A public political assembly followed, where many leaders took the floor. Among them Milian Racca, “Liberi Elettori Piemonte” (Piedmont’s Free Electors), a local civic network which was crucial for the organization of the event. On behalf of Alliance for Autonomy, autonomist network, mainly active in Lombardy and Veneto and brand new ally of Aea, Gianantonio Bevilacqua, Paolo Franco and Giancarlo Pagliani have spoken, reminding the importance of Swiss confederalist tradition for the future of Europe.
Other interventions were given by Alfonso Nobile, “Siciliani Liberi” (Free Sicilians, EFA member); Claudia Zuncheddu, “Sardigna Libera” (Free Sardinia, AeA associate); Samuele Albonetti, “Rumâgna Unida” (United Romagna, AeA member); Frédéric Piccoli, “Union Valdôtaine” (Aosta Valley Union, EFA member); Mauro Vaiani, “OraToscana” (Tuscany Now), who is also coordinator of AeA interterritorial secretariat; Roberto Visentin, “Patto per l’Autonomia Friuli-Venezia Giulia", who is AeA president and EFA vicepresident.
EFA president, Lorena Lopez De La Calle y Aritzi, gave the keynote intervention, introducing EFA commitment for the coming 2024 European Elections. She explained how and why EFA “spitzenkandidaten” - Maylis Roßberg and Raül Romeva – were chosen to represent diversity among EFA parties, in our joint effort to promote self-determination, democracy, diversity and bio-diversity in Europe. President Lorena Lopez also presented EFA pragmatic proposals for short-term European political agenda:
– conceive a European way of resolution of conflicts between states and territories, caused by authoritarian centralism, which affects not only Spain;
– establish a special status for European islands, protecting them from unfair economic competition;
– promote a new agricultural policy to protect family-run enterprises and to protect territories from multinational giants’ attack;
– consider landscapes as intangible heritage of humanity and expression of local identity and diversity, worth to be protected by the EU;
– introduce community policies that take into account policies’ impact on young people.
Last but not least, EFA president Lorena Lopez also reminded EFA commitment for international solidarity, decentralism, and peace. EFA supports immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, hostages realease and relief for Palestinian people in Gaza and West Bank. EFA supports Kurdish national cause, Kurdish regions’ selfgovernment. Western Sahara independence process, Artsakh’ people right to return and self-govern in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Such a special Chivasso Day has been a crucial step in making the entire EFA community and her allies able to represent in Europe, and in the Italian Republic, universal aspiration for autonomy and self-government of peoples, regions, territories oppressed by authoritarian centralism of states, aspiring napoleons of Europe, globalization tyrants.
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