ITALY: Venice Begins Secession Vote

The Italian region of Veneto yesterday began voting in a secession referendum.

La Serenissima — or the Most Serene Republic of Venice — was an independent trading power for a millennium before its last leader was deposed by Napoleon in 1797. The republic encompassed not just Venice but what is now the surrounding region of Veneto and it is there that the vote will take place from Sunday until Friday. Campaigners have been inspired by the example of Scotland, which will hold its referendum on independence in September, and Catalonia, where around half the population say they want to break away from Spain. Activists say that the latest polling shows that 65% of voters in the Veneto region, which includes historic cities such as Treviso, Vicenza and Verona, are in favour of cutting ties with Rome.

Most of Veneto's five million residents speak or can understand Venetian. More about the vote from the Independent:

The populist Northern League – together with much of the region's electorate – sees the capital and the rest of the country as a drain on the local economy. The party's leader in Veneto, Federico Caner, cites official figures that suggest this wealthy and industrialised region pays €20bn more in taxes to Rome than it receives in investment and services. "We have our own identity, history and culture," he said. "Before Italy was a nation, Venice was the world's first democratic republic that had endured for 1,000 years."

Opponents point out that Veneto would have to apply for membership in the European Union and until that happens, trade with EU nations could be severely restricted.