The contrasting geographies of 'Padania': the case of the Lega Nord in Northern Italy

The Lega Nord (Northern League) regionalist party, which has risen to promi nence in Italy in recent years, has a specific geographical focus to its po litical project. This is premised essentially upon the protection of Northe rn Italian economic (and cultural) interests, however, this geographical fo cus has been modified during the Lega Nord's relatively short political his tory. This paper explores the reasons why there have been various shifts in geographical emphasis in the party's political rhetoric as well as the way s in which support for the Lega Nord has changed (or noti as a result of th ese changes. interestingly the latest shift in the Lega Nord's rhetoric has seen the party attempting to construct land invent) a geography and an eth nicity for a place it calls 'Padania' (which roughly corresponds to North a nd Central Italy) that has never existed administratively or historically H owever, as the paper argues, the Lega Nord's attempts to create a 'Padanian ' political identity, have not been matched by any significant changes in i ts electoral geography.