意小鎮自印貨幣抵制政府縮減

意大利一個小城最近開始印製獨立貨幣，並意欲走上獨立之路，以抗議意大利政府近期出臺的縮減政策。據悉，意大利政府爲了節省開支，計劃將居民人數在1000人以下的小城鎮進行撤併，而這個名爲弗洛西諾的地方只有550人。爲了避免與臨近的城鎮合併，該地市長決定尋求獨立，計劃沿着聖馬力諾共和國邊界一直往北建立一個獨立的“國家”。目前，背面印有市長頭像的獨立貨幣已經開始印製並流通。意大利政府方面尚未對此做出迴應。

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

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.