意小镇自印货币抵制政府缩减

意大利一个小城最近开始印制独立货币，并意欲走上独立之路，以抗议意大利政府近期出台的缩减政策。据悉，意大利政府为了节省开支，计划将居民人数在1000人以下的小城镇进行撤并，而这个名为弗洛西诺的地方只有550人。为了避免与临近的城镇合并，该地市长决定寻求独立，计划沿着圣马力诺共和国边界一直往北建立一个独立的“国家”。目前，背面印有市长头像的独立货币已经开始印制并流通。意大利政府方面尚未对此做出回应。

A small town in central Italy is trying to go independent and mint its own money in protest at government austerity cuts.

Filettino, set in rugged hill country around 100 km (65 miles) east of Rome, is rebelling against a proposal to merge the governments of towns with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants to save money.

Filettino has only around 550 people, but instead of merging with neighboring Trevi, mayor Luca Sellari is trying to go it alone and set up a "principality" along the lines of the famous republic of San Marino to the north.

He has started minting Filettino's own bank currency, the "Fiorito," with his photo on the back, which he says is already being used by the townsfolk.

"We aim to achieve real autonomy from Italy and we have the financial resources to do it," Sellari said in an interview on the town's website www.principatodifilettino.com

There was no immediate comment from the central government in Rome.

Mayors from all over Italy are up in arms about proposals to cut local government funding and merge small towns as part of a 45.5 billion euro ($65.3 billion) austerity plan to balance the country's budget by 2013.

Mayors plan a protest in Milan Monday although media reports say the government is preparing significant changes to the budget, including a substantial dilution of the proposals on local government.