Venetian National Party - Ideology and Factions

Ideology and Factions

The party campaigned for independence for the so-called Venetia, a country that would be composed of all the territories of the historical Venetian Republic, covering the current Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, some provinces of Lombardy (Brescia, Bergamo, Cremona and Mantova) and a portion of Trentino (see chart), in contrast with those Venetist parties, such as Liga Veneta–Lega Nord, currently campaigning for federal reform.

The core principles of the PNV included: individual rights, including the right to life, private property and the pursuit of happiness (a clear reference to the United States Declaration of Independence); the refusal of any discrimination based on race, sex, religion, language, etc.; nonviolence, democratic legitimacy and non aggression; resepect of international law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and, mainly, self-determination. The party proposed an independent Veneto, "tolerant and open to Europe" and takes example from the Scottish National Party, the Basque National Party, and Catalan nationalists.

The PNV early leader Bernardini was essentially a libertarian and most of party members, notably including Gianluca Panto, Claudio Ghiotto and Lodovico Pizzati, reflected his economic and political ideas. The party's core was indeed represented by the Venetian Libertarian Party envisioned and led by Ghiotto. However the party was open to people of all backgrounds.

The party proposed a flat tax at 20%, to be reduced over a few years to 15%, something that would be possible only in case of independence.