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South Tyrolean Freedom Süd-Tiroler Freiheit
Leader	Sven Knoll
Spokesperson / Legal Representative	Werner Thaler
Founder	Eva Klotz
Founded	May 2007
Split from	Union for South Tyrol
Headquarters	St. Josef am See, 74 39052 Kaltern an der Weinstraße (Italy)
Youth wing	Young South Tyrolean Freedom
Membership (2021)	4,535
Ideology	Regionalism German-speaking minority interests National conservatism Separatism Right-wing populism
Political position	Right-wing
European affiliation	European Free Alliance
Chamber of Deputies	0 / 400
Senate	0 / 200
European Parliament	0 / 73
Provincial Council	4 / 35
Party flag
Website
www.suedtiroler-freiheit.com
Politics of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Political parties Elections

South Tyrolean Freedom (German: Süd-Tiroler Freiheit, STF) is a regionalist, separatist and national-conservative political party in South Tyrol, Italy. The party, which is part of the South Tyrolean independence movement, seeks to represent the German-speaking population and proposes the secession of South Tyrol from Italy and its reunification with the State of Tyrol within Austria.

The party, whose founding leader was Eva Klotz, is officially led by Werner Thaler, but its leading figure is Sven Knoll.

History

The South Tyrolean Freedom emerged as a split from the Union for South Tyrol (UfS) in May 2007. On 8 June 2007 it was notarially founded in Brixen. The founding members were Herbert Campidell, Eva Klotz, Sven Knoll, Reinhold Ladurner, Roland Lang, Sepp Mitterhofer, Werner Thaler and Dietmar Zwerger.

In mid 2007, the party presented a provocative poster campaign with the slogan Süd-Tirol ist nicht Italien! ("South Tyrol is not Italy") and the Austrian flag as background. A sign with the same content was also set up at the Brenner Pass border, in June 2008.

In April 2009, the STF became a full member of the European Free Alliance, a pan-European organization of regionalist parties. Gudrun Kofler from the STF Youth (Junge Süd-Tiroler Freiheit) was elected as Vice President of the EFA Youth.

In January 2012, it was reported that the party had reached 2,800 members, a lot more than UfS in its best days.

In the 2013 provincial election, the STF won 7.2%, its record high so far, resulting in three provincial councillors.

In November 2014, Klotz, who had served in the Provincial Council for 31 consecutive years (for SH, UfS and STF), announced her resignation from the assembly in order to take care of her husband, who was severely ill.

In the 2018 provincial election, the party obtained 6.0% of the vote and two provincial councillors.

In the municipal elections in September 2020, South Tyrolean Freedom competed in 29 South Tyrolean municipalities with 140 candidates. It was able to increase its seats from 41 to 49.

In the 2023 provincial election, the party surged to 10.9% of the vote, translating into four provincial councillors.

Ideology

The STF sees itself as a "liberal-patriotic" party aimed at protecting the German-speaking population of South Tyrol. The party claims South Tyroleans' right to self-determination and to conduct a referendum in order to decide whether they want to be part of Italy or the Austrian state of Tyrol. The party programme also emphasizes the protection of the environment, the defense of family values, a moderately liberal economic policy and the concept of Europe of the regions.

Election results

Provincial Council

Landtag of South Tyrol

Election year	Votes	%	Seats	+/−	Leader
2008	14,888	4.9	2 / 35	–	Eva Klotz
2013	20,736	7.2	3 / 35	1	Eva Klotz
2018	16,927	6.0	2 / 35	1	Sven Knoll
2023	30,583	10.9	4 / 35	2	Sven Knoll

Leadership

• Spokesperson / Legal Representative: Werner Thaler (2007–present)

References

1. https://suedtiroler-freiheit.com
2. Davide Vampa (2016). The Regional Politics of Welfare in Italy, Spain and Great Britain. Springer. p. 63. ISBN 978-3-319-39007-9.
3. ^ Andrea Carla (2016). "Tensions and Challenges between New and Old minorities: Political Party Discourses on Migration in South Tyrol". In Roberta Medda-Windischer; Patricia Popelier (eds.). Pro-independence Movements and Immigration: Discourse, Policy and Practice. BRILL. p. 70. ISBN 978-90-04-29439-4.
4. http://www.stol.it/nachrichten/artikel.asp?KatID=fa&ArtID=93075
5. "Südtirol aktuell" (PDF). Suedstern.org. July 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
6. "Umstrittene "Süd-Tirol-Tafel" wieder am Brenner aufgestellt". Vienna.at. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
7. "Member Parties". E-f-a.org. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
8. "Sudtirol, Eva Klotz Triplica I Suoi Iscritti - L'Indipendenza". Lindipendenza.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
9. "Referendum provinciale confermativo 2014 - Provincia autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige". Eleziono.provincia.bz.it. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
10. "Eva Klotz si è dimessa dal consiglio provinciale: Mio marito è malato, voglio stargli vicino - Cronaca - Alto Adige". Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
11. "Südtirol: Eva Klotz steigt aus Landtag aus - derStandard.at". DER STANDARD. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
12. Simon, Hackspiel (27 November 2014). "Verfechterin der Selbstbestimmung in Südtirol: Eva Klotz tritt zurück". Tiroler Tageszeitung Online. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
13. "Elezioni comunali 2020 - Alto Adige / Gemeindewahlen 2020 - Südtirol". www.elezionicomunali.bz.it. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
14. "15. Februar 2016: Einladung zum Vortrag "Dorfstraße = via del Paese, Dorfstraße ... ?"". Süd-Tiroler Freiheit. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2019.

External links

• Official website

v t e Political parties in South Tyrol
Parties with seats in the Provincial Council:	South Tyrolean People's Party (13) Team K (4) South Tyrolean Freedom (4) Greens (3) Brothers of Italy (2) JWA List (2) Die Freiheitlichen (1) Democratic Party (1) For South Tyrol with Widmann (1) Lega Alto Adige Südtirol (1) La Civica (1) Vita (1) Free Group (1)
Politics of South Tyrol List of political parties in South Tyrol

v t e Members of the European Free Alliance
Elected to the European Parliament	New Flemish Alliance Latvian Russian Union Party of the Corsican Nation Republican Left of Catalonia
Other members	Autonomy Liberty Participation Ecology Bavaria Party Catalan Unity Democratic Party of Artsakh Eusko Alkartasuna Frisian National Party Future of Åland Galician Nationalist Bloc Liga Veneta Repubblica Majorca Socialist Party Mebyon Kernow Occitan Party Plaid Cymru Our Land Savoy Region Movement Scottish National Party Silesian Autonomy Movement South Schleswig Voters' Association South Tyrolean Freedom United Macedonian Organization Ilinden–Pirin Unity List Unvaniezh Demokratel Breizh Valencian Nationalist Bloc Yorkshire Party
Observers	Hungarian People's Party of Transylvania Latvian Russian Union New Canaries Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace Pro Lombardy Independence
Former members	Hungarian Christian Democratic Association Lista za Rijeku – Lista per Fiume Lusatian Alliance Rainbow Sardinian Action Party Slovene Union The Other South
EU portal

• Political parties in South Tyrol
• Separatism in Italy
• Secessionist organizations in Europe
• German irredentism
• German nationalist political parties
• Nationalist parties in Italy
• Political parties established in 2007
• European Free Alliance
• South Tyrolean nationalism
• National conservative parties
• Right-wing populist parties
• Right-wing populism in Italy