The Lega Nord and the Politics of Secession in Italy

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. Introduction

   • Anna Cento Bull, Mark Gilbert

   Pages 1-8

3. The Lega Nord and the Crisis of the Italian State

   • Anna Cento Bull, Mark Gilbert

   Pages 9-41

4. Interpretations of the Lega Nord

   • Anna Cento Bull, Mark Gilbert

   Pages 42-66

5. The Electorate of the Lega Nord: a Socio-economic and Territorial Constituency

   • Anna Cento Bull, Mark Gilbert

   Pages 67-104

6. Padania and After

   • Anna Cento Bull, Mark Gilbert

   Pages 105-138

7. Globalization, Italian Politics and the ‘Northern Question’

   • Anna Cento Bull, Mark Gilbert

   Pages 139-172

8. Conclusions

   • Anna Cento Bull, Mark Gilbert

   Pages 173-183

9. Postscript on the 2001 General Elections

   • Anna Cento Bull, Mark Gilbert

   Pages 184-187

10. Back Matter

    Pages 188-204

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Since the late 1980s, the Lega Nord has broken the mould of Italian politics. Federalist, secessionist, populist, it has succeeded in mobilizing the entrepreneurial class of Northern Italy in a campaign against the Italian state. In 1996, it launched the idea of Panadia, a separate Northern Italian nation. This proved to be a step too far, but the Lega remains a political force to be reckoned with, and has propelled 'the Northern question' on to the national stage.

• campaign
• constituency
• crisis
• Electorate
• globalization
• Italy
• politics
• state
• european union politics
• democracy

• University of Bath, UK

  Anna Cento Bull, Mark Gilbert

ANNA CENTO BULL is Professor of Italian Studies at the University of Bath. She has published widely on the Legal Nord and her most recent book is Social Identities and Political Cultures in Italy.

MARK GILBERT is Lecturer in Italian Politics at the University of Bath. His publications include The Italian Revolution: The End of Politics, Italian Style and he is co-editor, with G.Pasquino, of Politica in Italia, 2000/Italian Politics: The Faltering Transition.

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