The Libertarian Movement is a political party in Italy which espouses a typically right-libertarian platform, namely minimal regulation of society, liberism of the markets, strong defense of natural rights of liberty and property, non-interventionism in foreign policy and laissez-faire freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries. Its leaders are Leonardo Facco and Giorgio Fidenato. The party has as its symbol a round disk with a yellow-gold background in reference to the gold standard and also to its membership in the anarcho-capitalist movement. ML was started as a cultural association on 24 September 2005 in Treviglio with the writing of the Manifesto and Constitution of the Libertarian Movement by Facco. Two years after, ML was transformed into a party by Facco, Fidenato and Marcello Mazzilli. The party's goal is to defend life, liberty and property of each individual within a strong free market system. The party has its registered office in the municipality of Pordenone. The party supports both the Padanian and the Venetian independence movements. Among other things, Facco is editor of the pro-independence and libertarian online newspaperL'Indipendenza. Both Facco and Fidenato have participated in events and demonstrations organized by separatist parties as the Padanian Union, the Alpine Padanian Union and Veneto State. In November 2011, Facco proposed the creation of an Independentist Libertarian Movement which would support all the separatist movements and parties active around Italy. In the run-up of a conference of free independentists organized by L'Indipendenza, Fidenato, who had been long in favour of the dissolution of Italy, endorsed the proposal.
In its party's constitution, ML acknowledges the following libertarian principles:
Freedom understood as the absence of constraint is a natural right of the individual, which nobody must threaten.
The government in its various variants forces people to obey blindly and accept legislation invasive and oppressive monopoly.
Everyone has the right to seek their own happiness and that of his loved ones, taking responsibility for their actions.
Each individual is entitled organize in freedom themselves to protect their lives and their belongings, particularly given the enormous difficulties posed by the power of politicians at all levels.
The need to eliminate and reduce the state, politicians and bureaucracies in the everyday life, increasingly recognizing the dignity of all people working really, producing their own resources and possessions.
Property is a natural and inalienable right of man, primarily the property of themselves, of the own bodies and of one's life.
Giorgio Fidenato and ML favor the free cultivation and commercialization of GMO seeds and food. They support no limits to GMOs in Italy, consumer freedom to choose their own products and freedom of private scientific research as long as it respect the natural human rights and it does not use public money. In this respect, Fidenato and his Federated Farmers were subjected to threats and acts of violent vandalism in their headquarters by an anti-globalization and environmentalist group for their position on GMO maize. The Italian Radicals referred in Parliament on the issue.
Cultural association
As a cultural association, ML aims at promoting anarcho-capitalism in Italy. The association's motto is "Everyone is free to do what he thinks is right for himself, without attacking anyone, and without attacking the property rights of others". As such, the group organizes meetings, debates and conferences and issues publications.