Glenn Beck Delivers Special Message All the Way Across the Atlantic -- for a Group You Probably Didn't Know Exists (But You'll Be Glad That It Does)

Italy is widely known for many things the world over, but what not many likely know — including Americans — is that there's a political tea party movement growing there, modeled after the one that revolutionized the 2010 midterm elections in the U.S.

And the Italian tea party held a gathering recently, and none other than Glenn Beck participated through a video message, encouraging the Italians who are looking much the same things as tea party members in the States.

Their motto? Less taxes and more freedom.

Image source: Italian TV station LA7

Image source: Italian TV station LA7

An Italian TV news station covered the event and the growing tea party there, noting Beck's contribution, along with that of FreedomWorks' Matt Kibbe.

A translation of Italian TV station LA7's piece was provided to TheBlaze — here some of the highlights.

A fundamentally disenchanted segment of the Italian population for the past two years has set up new political parties such as the Tea Party and Indipendenza Veneta (Veneto is one of the regions in the Northeast). It's been spurred on in part to reduce certain taxes and fight a system that is strangling entrepreneurship in the region, its members say.

“We see the fiscal pressure, the bureaucracy that kills our private sector companies, and are now witnessing our position as subjects within Europe’s centralized government," said Alessandro Ciuti, Lombardy coordinator of Tea Party Italia. "Thus, today’s real problem is our inability to operate freely, work freely, and not to be oppressed by the central administration."

According to the broadcaster, the key word here is "independence" (“independentism”), as activists, entrepreneurs, and even some local municipalities are springing up to create an alternative to the traditional political system.

As signs are seen onscreen that read “Freedom of entrepreneurship, freedom in God” and “Freedom from a central government, freedom from taxes," it's noted that the Italian tea party organized an event that was bolstered by two video messages from Glenn Beck and Matt Kibbe, "two men who are the key protagonists of the U.S. tea party." The event attracted about 500 attendees, the report said.

Image source: Italian TV station LA7

Image source: Italian TV station LA7

“This allows us to bring forth these principles in terms of individual liberty and corporate liberty," Alessandro Ciuti said, adding that he wants to "spread the word, basically asking citizens if they are not sick and tired of the current situation."

The Indipendenza Veneta movement claims to have gathered 48,000 signatures for a referendum – allowed under the Italian constitution – for the creation of the Republic of Venice, which have been sent to the European Parliament to monitor the process, the news report said.

“We hope to be able to vote in 2014," Alessandro Ciuti said.

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