Die Freiheitlichen (German: [diː ˈfʁaɪhaɪtlɪçn̩]), abbreviated dF) is a regionalist,[2] separatist,[citation needed] and right-wing populist[3] political party in South Tyrol.

The party, which is part of the South Tyrolean independence movement, seeks to represent the German-speaking majority and Ladin-speaking minority in the province and to separate it from Italy.

They were led by the "Gang of Four": Christian Waldner (former leader of the Junge Generation, SVP's youth section), Peter Paul Reiner, Pius Leitner and Stephan Gutweniger.

[24][25] In March 2012, in the midst of the European debt crisis and consequent recession in Italy, the party officially turned to separatism, proposing the creation of a South Tyrolean independent and sovereign Freistaat (free state) through a referendum, which would need the approval also of the Italian-speaking minority.

[30] In the 2014 European Parliament election, the party ran in alliance with Lega Nord (LN),[31] with Leitner obtaining virtually 7,000 preference votes.

[32] In June 2014, following a scandal on advance retirement payments which invested all the regional councillors,[33] the party entirely renewed its leadership by electing Walter Blaas president and appointing Simon Auer secretary.

[39] In May 2017, Andreas Leiter Reber, a hardliner, was elected party president, by beating the more moderate Arno Mall,[40] and re-launched the concept of Freistaat.