The ideology

Abstract

Through a detailed study of key party documents, and by building on previous work on the topic, this chapter defines what the Lega Nord/ Northern League is and discusses the reasons why its regionalism and populism must be seen as the core of the party’s identity. First, we argue that it is impossible to understand the League from its foundation to the present day without highlighting its territorial politics. This is because, whatever policy or strategic U-turns the party has made (for example, its position on European integration, or its alliances), the raison d’être of the League has always been the attainment of some form of northern autonomy. Second, the populist framework of interpretation constructed by the League is discussed in detail. The League has posited the existence of a virtuous and homogeneous ‘us’ – honest, hard-working and simple-living northern Italians, attached to their local traditions – and represented them as being under siege from above by the financial and political elites and, from below, by a series of ‘others’ (in particular southern Italians and immigrants). A postscript describes the more recent transformations experienced by the party under Matteo Salvini’s leadership. Our aim is to show that the ideological profile of today’s League cannot be fully understood without considering Umberto Bossi’s legacy.