Italian regionalism or 'Padanian' nationalism - the political project of the Lega Nord in Italian politics

The resurgence of regionalist political parties has had a considerable, tho ugh variable, impact on contemporary European politics in recent decades an d there are numerous examples of such parties across Europe. In Italy, ther e are several regionalist parties, however, it is the emergence in the last 15 years or so, of the Northern League (Lega Nord) (LN) political party, i n the North of Italy, which has given a new impetus to debates about the si gnificance of regionalism in Italy as well as across Europe. This paper dis cusses the different approaches to defining regionalism as well as the comm on features and driving forces of contemporary political regionalist projec ts. It then focuses upon the political discourses of the LN in order to dis cuss the ways in which the party resembles other regionalist projects, whil e having certain key, distinct and rather unique differences. This is becau se the LN's political project is not based in an area that has historic cla ims to nationhood. Instead, the LN has attempted to invent an ethnicity for the North of Italy (or 'Padania') in order to justify its political claims for the protection of the economic interests of the region. 'Padania' (whi ch is the Latin term which refers to the basin of the River Po), has never 'existed' as an administrative or political unit but the LN has attempted t o construct (and invent) a geography and a history in order to justify its territorial and political claims. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.