European Freedom Association founded in Brussels

06 Jan 2016

On December 9, 2015, an international meeting of European freedom movements committed to the idea of self-determination took place at the European Parliament in Brussels. In front of more than 100 European parliamentarians from all political groups, journalists and university professors, representatives from Flanders, Catalonia, Scotland, the Basque Country and South Tyrol presented their respective situations.

South Tyrol was represented by the Südtiroler Schützenbund, whose federal manager Dr. Florian von Ach presented the self-determination efforts in South Tyrol in his speech held in English.In particular, Dr. von Ach addressed the current discussion around the South Tyrol Convention and the planned Independence Day of the Schützenbund on May 14, 2016 in Bruneck.

The meeting was followed by the official founding assembly of the "International Commission of European Citizens" (ICEC), a Europe-wide association of non-partisan citizens' movements that advocate the exercise of the right to self-determination.

Anna Arquè from Catalonia was elected as spokesperson of ICEC. Anna Arquè will also be this year's commemorative speaker at the Andreas Hofer National Commemoration in Merano on February 21, 2016. With the founding of ICEC, another important step was taken towards the networking of European peoples and ethnic groups with the aim of anchoring the right to self-determination at the European level.