Northern League Lega Nord
Regional Party of Northern Italy
Leader	Umberto Bossi
Founded	February 15, 1991
Headquarters	Via Bellerio, 41 20161 Milan
Coalition	House of Freedoms
Political ideology	Regionalism, Federalism, Populism, Conservatism
Official newspaper	La Padania
Website	http://www.leganord.org
See also	Politics of Italy Political parties in Italy Elections in Italy Logo of the Lega Nord, an Italian political party. ... Umberto Bossi, with a green Padania-inspired handkerchief. ... February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Casa delle Libertà, or House of Freedoms in English, is an Italian right of center party alliance led by national media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. ... Regionalism is a term in international relations that refers to the expression of a common sense of identity and purpose combined with the creation and implementation of institutions that express that particular identity and shape collection action within a geographical region. ... Federalism is a political philosophy in which a group or body of members are bound together (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. ... This article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Politics of Italy takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... Political parties in Italy are organized into two dominant political coalitions. ... Elections in Italy gives information on election and election results in Italy. ...

The Northern League (Italian: Lega Nord) is an Italian political party founded in 1991 as a federation of several regional parties in Northern Italy, most of which had arisen, and all of which had expanded their share of the electorate, in the 1980s. Its political program advocates greater regional autonomy, especially for the Northern Italian region, which they call Padania; at times it has advocated secession. Prior to the party's adoption of the term, Padania was a relatively obscure geographers' designation for the Po River basin. The League is a personality-driven party led by Umberto Bossi. A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ... An autonomous (subnational) entity is a subnational entity that has a certain amount of autonomy. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Northern Leagues proposed Padanian flag, the Sun of the Alps Padania is an alternative name for Northern Italy. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The Po (Latin: Padus) is a river that flows 652 kilometers (405 miles) eastward across northern Italy, from Monviso (in the Cottian Alps) to the Adriatic Sea near Venice. ... Umberto Bossi, with a green Padania-inspired handkerchief. ...

History

One of its principal precursors (and, later, sections), the Lombard League (Lega Lombarda) , attained national significance in 1987 when its leader, Bossi, was elected to the Senate. Since then on he has commonly been referred to as the Senatur, the word for "senator" in a number of northern minority local languages—a nickname maintained even when he was no longer a senator. The Lombard League was an alliance formed on December 1, 1167 between 26 (later 30) cities of North Italy, including Cremona, Mantua, Bergamo, Brescia, Milan, Bologna, Padua, Treviso, Vicenza, Verona, Lodi, and Parma. ... The Italian Senate (Italian: Senato della Repubblica, Senate of the Republic) is the upper house of the Parliament of Italy. ... Italy currently has one national language: Standard Italian. ...

In 1983, the Liga Veneta, based in Veneto, elected one MP, Achille Tramarin, and a Senator, Graziano Girardi. Liga Veneta is a regionalist and autonomist party, founded in 1979 in Veneto, Italy, combinig Venetism and fiscal federalism. ... Vèneto is one of the regions of Italy. ... Founding member of the Liga Veneta in 1979 and party national secretary from 1979 to 1984, he was elected at the Italian Chamber of Deputies in 1983, so he was the first member of Parliament for any of the autonomist parties merged in the Northern League in 1991. ... Member of the Liga Veneta, Graziano Girardi was elected senator in 1983. ...

The party was formed in 1991 as a merger of the various regional movements (often named "league"), including the Lombard League and the Liga Veneta. These regional parties continue to exist as "national sections" of the federal party, which presents itself in regional and local contests as Lega Lombarda-Lega Nord, Liga Veneta-Lega Nord and so on. Support for the party skyrocketed in the early 1990s because of the huge political corruption scandal known as Tangentopoli and the Mani pulite investigations. Bettino Craxi, viewed by many as the symbol of Tangentopoli, leader of the Italian Socialist Party, is greeted by a salvo of coins as a sign of loathing by protesters contesting him. ... Mani pulite (Italian for clean hands) was a nationwide Italian police investigation into political corruption held in the 1990s, following the scandal of Banco Ambrosiano in 1982, which implicated mafia, Vatican Bank and P2. ...

In 1994 the Northern League, along with the post-fascist National Alliance, joined Forza Italia to form a coalition under Silvio Berlusconi. This government was short-lived and the League was instrumental in its demise which occurred before the end of the year. This page pertains to fascism after World War II. For a discussion of groups and movements that also include as core tenets racial nationalism, antisemitism, and praise for Hitler, see Neo-Nazism. ... This article refers to the United States-based organization. ... Forza Italia (Forward Italy) is an Italian party. ... (born 29 September 1936) is an Italian politician, entrepreneur, and media proprietor. ...

Having forced Berlusconi to resign, the Northern League attacked him vehemently and Umberto Bossi stated in a television interview that Berlusconi's fortune came from mafia sources^[1]. In 1996 the movement announced that its aim was the independence of Northern Italy under the name Padania, a name previously referring to the Po River valley, but which the Northern League gave a geographically broader usage that has been steadily gaining currency, at least among its followers. The capital of Padania would be Mantua, and elections were organized by the party for a "northern parliament" (with no international recognition). For other uses, see Mafia (disambiguation). ... The Po (Latin: Padus) is a river that flows 652 kilometers (405 miles) eastward across northern Italy, from Monviso (in the Cottian Alps) to the Adriatic Sea near Venice. ... Mantua (in Italian Mantova, in the local dialect of Emiliano-Romagnolo language Mantua) is an important city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province with the same name. ...

In 2001 they re-joined forces with Berlusconi's coalition, previous disagreements notwithstanding. The league was the most loyal party to Berlusconi's government 2001–2006, except of course Berlusconi's own. In that period they held 30 of 630 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 17 of the 325 Senate seats. Forza Italia (Forward Italy) is an Italian party. ... The Italian Chamber of Deputies (Italian: Camera dei Deputati) is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. ... The Italian Senate (Italian: Senato della Repubblica, Senate of the Republic) is the upper house of the Parliament of Italy. ...

In later years the League have deemphasised demands for independence, and focused rather on devolution, while remaining within the framework of Italy. For the heavy metal band, see Devolved (band) Devolution or home rule is the granting of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ...

Logo of the joint list Northern League-MPA

In February 2006, the Northern League announced that it had reached an agreement with the Movement for Autonomy, a brand-new centrist party of Southern Italy led by MEP and President of the Province of Catania Raffaele Lombardo. Thus, the two parties presented a joint list for the Italian general election, 2006 in the whole country. Together, they elected 26 deputies and 13 senators,^[2] a decrease of four in each house from the previous legislature. Image File history File links Logo_LegaNord-MPA_2006. ... Image File history File links Logo_LegaNord-MPA_2006. ... The Movement for Autonomy (Italian: Movimento per lAutonomia or MPA) is a minor Italian political party, founded on April 30, 2005 by a number of Southern Italian, especially Sicilian, centre-of-right autonomist dissidents, notably from Democrats Centre Union and National Alliance. ... Raffaele Lombardo Raffaele Lombardo (born on 29 October 1950 in Catania) is a Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament for Islands with the Cristiani Democratici Uniti, part of the European Peoples Party and sits on the European Parliaments Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. ... A general election for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy was held on April 9 and April 10, 2006. ...

In the European Parliament, its MEPs are part of the grouping Independence and Democracy. Sign in the entrance of the European Parliament building in Brussels, written in all the official languages used in the European Union as of July 2006 The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The inside of the Strasbourg building The European Parliament building in Brussels The European Parliament (formerly European Parliamentary... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... IND/DEM logo The Independence and Democracy (IND/DEM) group, formed July 20, 2004 is a euro-sceptic political group with 36 MEPs in the European Parliament. ...

Popular support

Support for the Northern League is diverse even inside Padania. The party has its strongest electoral base in Veneto and Lombardy. Indeed, the league originated in Lombardy, in Bossi's native Varese province, and its original name was Lombard League, echoing a 12th-century alliance of Northern Italian city-states that rose against the Germanic Holy Roman Emperor and defeated him). The party has considerably less popular outside these regions. Vèneto is one of the regions of Italy. ... Lombardy (Italian: Lombardia) is a region in northern Italy between the Alps and the Po river valley. ... Varese (It. ... The Lombard League was an alliance formed on December 1, 1167 between 26 (later 30) cities of North Italy, including Cremona, Mantua, Bergamo, Brescia, Milan, Bologna, Padua, Treviso, Vicenza, Verona, Lodi, and Parma. ... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ...

Support for the Northern League has varied over the time, reaching a maximum of 10% in 1996 (when with about 20% it was the most voted single party north of and including left-leaning Emilia-Romagna). Popular consensus later fell to about 4.6% in 2006. However the Leghisti still control 5 of over 100 Italian provinces, namely Sondrio, Varese and Como in Lombardy and Treviso and Vicenza in Veneto, and they are the first party also in the Province of Bergamo, one of the most popolous in Italy, reason why Forza Italia, the dominant party of the right, wants to maintain its hold on that administration. In the 2005 regional elections they scored 10% of total popular votes in Northern Italy (15.8% in Lombardy, 14.7% in Veneto, 8.5% in Piedmont, 4.8% in Emilia-Romagna, 4.7% in Liguria), 1.3% in Tuscany and 0.9% in the Marche. Provinces of Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. ... Sondrio (It. ... Varese (It. ... Como (It. ... Lombardy (Italian: Lombardia) is a region in northern Italy between the Alps and the Po river valley. ... Treviso (It. ... Vicenza (It. ... Vèneto is one of the regions of Italy. ... Bergamo (It. ... Forza Italia (Forward Italy) is an Italian party. ... Northern Italy encompasses nine of the countrys 20 autonomous regions: Emilia-Romagna Friuli-Venezia Giulia Liguria Lombardia Piemonte Toscana Trentino-Alto Adige Valle dAosta Veneto Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige and Valle dAosta are regions with a special statute. ... Lombardy (Italian: Lombardia) is a region in northern Italy between the Alps and the Po river valley. ... Vèneto is one of the regions of Italy. ... Piedmont (Italian: Piemonte) is a region of northwestern Italy. ... Provinces of Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. ... Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. ... Tuscany (Italian Toscana) is a region in central Italy, bordering on Latium to the south, Umbria and Marche to the east, Emilia-Romagna and Liguria to the north, and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. ... This article is about the Italian region. ...

In the 9-10 April 2006 general elections, the party was member of the defeated House of Freedoms and won together with the Movement for Autonomy 13 out of 315 senators and 26 out of 630 deputies. A general election for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy was held on April 9 and April 10, 2006. ... Casa delle Libertà, or House of Freedoms in English, is an Italian right of center party alliance led by national media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. ... The Movement for Autonomy (Italian: Movimento per lAutonomia or MPA) is a minor Italian political party, founded on April 30, 2005 by a number of Southern Italian, especially Sicilian, centre-of-right autonomist dissidents, notably from Democrats Centre Union and National Alliance. ... The Italian Senate (Italian: Senato della Repubblica, Senate of the Republic) is the upper house of the Parliament of Italy. ... The Italian Chamber of Deputies (Italian: Camera dei Deputati) is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. ...

Factions

Lega Nord wants to unite all those Northern Italians who support autonomy and federalism for their land. For this reason it tends to be a de-ideologized party. Although there are no organized factions, it is possible to different tendencies or wings:

• a socially-concious, progressive and, sometimes, populist left-wing, composed of people as Roberto Maroni, Umberto Bossi himself, Francesco Speroni, Rosi Mauro (leader of the Padanian Trade Union (Sin.Pa., Sindacato Padano) and Matteo Salvini;
• a moderate-liberal centrist faction, composed of people as Roberto Castelli, Fiorello Provera, Manuela Dal Lago and Luca Zaia;
• a libertarian, liberal and, sometimes, technocratic wing, composed by people as Giancarlo Pagliarini, Daniele Molgora and Giancarlo Giorgetti (who is also a fellow of Bossi);
• a conservative right-wing, composed of people as Roberto Calderoli, Piergiorgio Stiffoni and Federico Bricolo, who tend to be strongly social-conservative and supportive of the Catholic Church;
• an independentist faction, composed of people as Mario Borghezio (who is also to the right of the party), Erminio Boso and Gilberto Oneto.

In 1997 Lega Nord organized what it called "the first elections to the Padanian Parliament". In that occasion roughly 4 million of Northern Italians (the party indeed spoke of 6 millions) went to the "polls" and they were able to chose between a lot of Padanian parties [3]: Roberto Maroni (born March 15, 1955 in Varese) is the Italian Minister of Welfare and a member of the Northern League. ... Umberto Bossi, with a green Padania-inspired handkerchief. ... Francesco Enrico Speroni Francesco Enrico Speroni (born on 4 October 1946 in Busto Arsizio) is a Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Lega Nord, part of the Independence and Democracy and sits on the European Parliaments Committee on Legal Affairs. ... Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini (born on 9 March 1973 in Milano) is a Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Lega Nord, part of the Independence and Democracy and sits on the European Parliaments Committee on Culture and Education. ... Roberto Castelli (Lecco 12Th of July 1946) is the current Minister of Justice in italian Government, Senator and a preeminent exponent of Lega Nord party. ... Manuela Dal Lago, a former member of the Italian Liberal Party, is President of the Province of Vicenza, Veneto, from 1997. ... Luca Zaia, young president of the Proivince of Treviso from 1997 to 2005 (elected two times with the only support of the Northern League in 1997 and 2002), is definitely the rising-star of Umberto Bossis Northern League in Veneto and thgough the very leader of the Liga Veneta. ... Giancarlo Giorgetti was national secretary of the Lombard League from 2002. ... Roberto Calderoli is an Italian politician, currently the Reforms Minister, member of the Lega Nord. ... Mario Borghezio Mario Borghezio (born on 3 December 1947 in Torino) is a Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Lega Nord, Member of the Bureau of the Independence and Democracy and sits on the European Parliaments Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and...

• Matteo Salvini was candidate for the Padanian Communist Party (5 seats out of 210);
• Roberto Maroni, Marco Formentini, Giovanni Meo Zilio (an ex-Socialist partisan during Italian Resistance), Franco Colleoni and Mariella Mazzetto launched the social-democratic European Democrats-Padanian Labour (52 seats);
• a group of Venetian Leghisti formed the venetist Padanian Lions (14 seats);
• Giuseppe Leoni and Roberto Ronchi founded the chistian-democratic Padanian Catholics (20 seats);
• Giancarlo Pagliarini, Vito Gnutti, Roberto Cota and Massimo Zanello led the liberal-conservative Forza Italia-styled Liberal Democrats-Forza Padania (50 seats);
• Marco Pottino launched Liberatarian and Liberal Padania (12 seats);
• Erminio Boso led the agrarian-conservative Padanian Union-Agriculture, Enviroment, Hunting, Fishing (5 seats);
• Enzo Flego and Walter Gherardini formed the national-conservtive Padanian Right (27 seats);
• also the non-leghista and Radical politician Benedetto Della Vedova was elected at the head of an anti-proibitionist and free-market libertarian list, while Green MP Nando Dalla Chiesa was only an unsuccessful candidate in Milan.

This is to expalin how there are many ideological varieties within Lega Nord, even if the party is strongly united by the of autonomy and federalism, which is neither left-wing nor right-wing. Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini (born on 9 March 1973 in Milano) is a Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Lega Nord, part of the Independence and Democracy and sits on the European Parliaments Committee on Culture and Education. ... Roberto Maroni (born March 15, 1955 in Varese) is the Italian Minister of Welfare and a member of the Northern League. ... Marco Formentini (b. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Venetism is a term used to define an autonomist movement demanding more autonomy for Veneto from Rome, if not the independence, refusing the validity of the result of the referendum with which Veneto was united with Italy in 1866 and wanting to re-discover the Republic of Venices traditions... Forza Italia (Forward Italy) is an Italian party. ... Radical is derived from the Latin word radix, which means root. In various fields of endeavor, it can mean: Sciences in chemistry, either an atom or molecule with at least one unpaired electron, or a group of atoms, charged or uncharged, that act as a single entity in reaction. ... Benedetto Della Vedova is the leader of Liberal Reformers, a minor liberal and libertarian party, member of the House of Freedoms coalition. ... The Federation of the Greens (Federazione dei Verdi, or just Verdi) is the Italian Green Party. ...

Ideology

The league's culture is a mix of pride in the heritage of northern Italy (particularly with historical references to the anti-imperial Lombard League, the warrior figure on the party emblems belong to Alberto da Giussano, a mythical figure of wars against Barbarossa), distrust of southern Italians and especially of Roman authorities, often bordering on racism, xenophobia, including some support for free market economics, and independentism, hate for Italy and especially its flag, and claims of a Celtic heritage. The league has been often criticised, in Italy and abroad, for being too similar to a fascist party, having also organised a paramilitary group of "green shirts" (which carry no weapons). The Holy Roman Empire and from the 16th century on also The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was a political conglomeration of lands in Central Europe in the Middle Ages and the early modern period. ... The Lombard League was an alliance formed on December 1, 1167 between 26 (later 30) cities of North Italy, including Cremona, Mantua, Bergamo, Brescia, Milan, Bologna, Padua, Treviso, Vicenza, Verona, Lodi, and Parma. ... Statue of Alberto da Giussano in Legnano, Lombardy Alberto da Giussano (born in Giussano, Lombardy) was a Guelph warrior during the wars of the Lombard League against Frederick Barbarossa in 12th century. ... Frederick in a 13th century Chronicle Frederick I (German: Friedrich I. von Hohenstaufen)(1122 – June 10, 1190), also known as Friedrich Barbarossa (Frederick Redbeard) was elected king of Germany on March 4, 1152 and crowned Holy Roman Emperor on June 18, 1155. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Location within Province of Rome in the Region of Latium Coordinates: Region Latium Province Province of Rome Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,285 km²  (496. ... An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated street car terminal in the United States in 1939. ... Look up xenophobia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In economics and politics, a free market is a controversial concept of an idealised economic system and political environment wherein exchanges are free of coercive measures such as tariffs, excess taxation, regulations, and restrictions —particularly in regard to rectifying differences in labour laws. ... Political separatism is a movement to obtain sovereignty and split a territory or group of people (usually a people with a distinctive national consciousness) from one another (or one nation from another; a colony from the metropolis). ... Look up hate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... National flag and state ensign. ... A Celtic cross. ... Cultural heritage (national heritage or just heritage) is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. ... Fascism is a radical political ideology that combines elements of corporatism, authoritarianism, nationalism, militarism, anti-anarchism, anti-communism and anti-liberalism. ... A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organised in a military fashion. ...

The Northern League has supported Slobodan Milošević^[4] and Jörg Haider^[5]. Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević   (IPA Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Милошевић) (20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was President of Serbia and of Yugoslavia. ... Jörg Haider in Carinthia (promotional photo) Jörg Haider (born 26 January 1950) is an Austrian politician. ...

Publicity Car of the Italian Lega-Nord Party for the regional Elections in the Tuscany on 3. April 2005 on the "Piazza della Republica" in Florence

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2437x1801, 1229 KB) Photographer: Richard Heidler Time, Place: march 2005, Florence, Piazza della Republica Camera: Canon Powershot A95 Description: Publicity Car of the Italian Lega-Nord Party for the regional Elections in the Tuscany on 3. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2437x1801, 1229 KB) Photographer: Richard Heidler Time, Place: march 2005, Florence, Piazza della Republica Camera: Canon Powershot A95 Description: Publicity Car of the Italian Lega-Nord Party for the regional Elections in the Tuscany on 3. ... Country Italy Region Tuscany Province Florence (FI) Mayor Leonardo Domenici Elevation 50 m Area 102 km² Population  - Total (as of 2006-06-02) 366,488  - Density 3,593/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Fiorentini Dialing code 055 Postal code 50100 Frazioni Galluzzo, Settignano Patron St. ...

Reasons for the Initial Success

Especially in the early years, the League exploited resentment against Rome and the Italian government, common in northern Italy, because some northern Italians felt that the governments in Rome wasted resources collected mostly from northern Italians' taxes. Nickname: The Eternal City Location within Province of Rome in the Region of Latium Coordinates: Region Latium Province Province of Rome Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,285 km²  (496. ... A tax (also known as a duty) is a financial charge or other levy imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a state or a functional equivalent of a state (e. ...

Discrimination against southern Italians, often dubbed terroni, and resentment against illegal immigrants were also exploited. The Lega Nord's successes began roughly when large numbers of illegal immigrants from eastern Europe and northern Africa began to spike in northern Italian cities. The following is a list of ethnic slurs that are, or have been, used to refer to members of a given ethnicity (or in some cases, nationality, region, or religion) in a derogatory or pejorative manner. ...

Another key factor was public disillusionment with old political parties, as the scandals of Tangentopoli were unveiled from 1992 on. However, the League's secretary himself, Umberto Bossi, was convicted for receiving a 200-million lire illegal contribution. Bettino Craxi, viewed by many as the symbol of Tangentopoli, leader of the Italian Socialist Party, is greeted by a salvo of coins as a sign of loathing by protesters contesting him. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The lira (plural lire) was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. ...

Federalism or Secession

The exact program of Lega Nord was not clear in the early years: some opponents claimed it wanted secession in Yugoslav style, other times it appeared they simply requested more autonomy for northern regions. The League eventually settled on federalism, which became rapidly a buzzword and a popular issue in most Italian political parties, with the exception of fascists and communists. The former opposed it for breaking up the fatherland, the latter for undermining cross-regional solidarity, especially important in Italy because of the wide economic divide between the rich north and the poorer south. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The Yugoslav wars were a series of violent conflicts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia that took place between 1991 and 2001. ... Federalism is a political philosophy in which a group or body of members are bound together (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. ... A buzzword (also known as a fashion word or vogue word) is an idiom, often a neologism, commonly used in managerial, technical, administrative, and sometimes political environments. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Solidarity (Polish: Solidarność; full name: Independent Self-governing Trade Union Solidarity — Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy Solidarność) is a Polish trade union federation founded in September 1980 at the Gdańsk Shipyards, and originally led by Lech Wałęsa. ...

Flag Ratio: 1:2
Padania's flag, the Sun of the Alps, proposed by the Northern League

The party later moved on, in 1995, to open secessionism, declaring the splitting of Italy in three entities, named by Lega-Nord ideologist Gianfranco Miglio: Padania, Etruria and the South. The South was only later given the name Ausonia. As a symbolic act of birth of the new nation, Bossi took a bottle of water from the springs of River Po (which in Latin is Padus, hence Padania), which was poured in the sea of Venice by a little girl a few days later. Image File history File links Flag_of_Padania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Padania. ... Image File history File links FIAV_100000. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Northern Leagues proposed Padanian flag, the Sun of the Alps Padania is an alternative name for Northern Italy. ... The area covered by the Etruscan civilzation. ... A compass rose with South highlighted South is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. ... Ausonia is a Greek and Virgilian poetical name for Italy (Aeneid vii. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Country Italy Region Veneto Province Venice (VE) Mayor Massimo Cacciari (since April 18, 2005) Elevation m Area 412 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 271,251  - Density 646/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Veneziani Dialing code 041 Postal code 30100 Frazioni Chirignago, Favaro Veneto, Mestre...

A voluntary group of militants, the green shirts (green being the colour of Padania), was also established. Opponents saw in this an echo of the black shirts of the fascist movement, but the green shirts have declared themselves non-violent, and have not been found to possess any weapons. Green is a color with many different shades, all within a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nm. ... The Blackshirts (Italian: camicie nere) were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II. Inspired by Garibaldis Redshirts, the Blackshirts were organized by Benito Mussolini due to his disgust with the corruption and apathy of the... Fascism is a radical political ideology that combines elements of corporatism, authoritarianism, nationalism, militarism, anti-anarchism, anti-communism and anti-liberalism. ...

The renewed alliance with Berlusconi in 2001 forced the party to tone down, and Padania became the name of a proposed "macro-region", for which the League asks some degree of autonomy. The new buzzword devolution (often used in English) was also introduced, but with less success than federalism. For the heavy metal band, see Devolved (band) Devolution or home rule is the granting of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

The choice to tone down and settle just for devolution instead of secession caused criticism by part of his party's base, which led to the formation of some minor breakaway factions.

Accusations of Racism

While the League leadership dismiss charges of racism, there have been instances of speeches, interviews and banners pointing to that. Umberto Bossi himself said that African immigrants, whom he called Bingo-bongos, should not receive popular housing paid for with Lombard money.^[6] Erminio Boso proposed to segregate immigrants in different train cars from native Italians.^[7] Umberto Bossi, in an interview, suggested opening fire on the boats of immigrants who would disembark in Italy ^[8], but after widespread criticism he declared he meant the empty boats. The former mayor of Treviso, Giancarlo Gentilini, talking about those he called immigrant slackers, said that "We should dress them up like hares and bang-bang-bang"^[9]. In June 2005, at a festival organised by the League, a banner was displayed saying "Rape Pecoraro", (referring to Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, the openly bisexual secretary of the Federation of the Greens); the banner caused outcry, and was condemned by the League's leadership.^[10] A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... The Rex Theatre for Colored People, Leland, Mississippi, June 1937 This entry is related to, but not included in the Political ideologies series or one of its sub-series. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger,greater) is in modern times the title of the highest ranking municipal officer, who discharges certain judicial and administrative functions, in many systems an elected politician, who serves as chief executive and/or ceremonial official of many types of municipalities. ... Treviso is a town in the Veneto region of Italy. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio (Salerno, March 13, 1959), is an Italian politician. ... Bisexual redirects here. ... The Federation of the Greens (Federazione dei Verdi, or just Verdi) is the Italian Green Party. ...

In 2005, Mario Borghezio, MP for the League at the European Parliament, was found guilty of arson, for having set on fire the belongings of some immigrants sleeping under a bridge in Turin in 2000.^[11] Mario Borghezio Mario Borghezio (born on 3 December 1947 in Torino) is a Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Lega Nord, Member of the Bureau of the Independence and Democracy and sits on the European Parliaments Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and... Sign in the entrance of the European Parliament building in Brussels, written in all the official languages used in the European Union as of July 2006 The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The inside of the Strasbourg building The European Parliament building in Brussels The European Parliament (formerly European Parliamentary... Arsonists redirects here. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... Country Italy Region Piedmont Province Turin (TO) Mayor Sergio Chiamparino (The Union) Elevation 240 m Area 130 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 902,255  - Density 6928/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Torinesi Dialing code 011 Postal code 10100 Patron St. ...

Through the Associazione Umanitaria Padana Onlus ("Onlus" Padanian Humanitarian Association), the Northern League participates in social and economic humanitarian projects which are intended to respect local cultures, traditions, and identities. The campaigns are carried out in underdeveloped nations or in those that have suffered from war or from natural catastrophes. Locations of recent missions have included Darfur, Iraq, and Afghanistan. ^[12]. Darfur (Arabic دار فور, meaning home of the Fur) is a region of far western Sudan, bordering the Central African Republic, Libya, and Chad. ...

Party's new strategy

In an interview that sparked considerable controversy, Umberto Bossi said he feared that, if the 2006 constitutional referendum did not succed (as, indeed it did not), maybe someone would pursue non-democratic means to obtain autonomy for the North. Although Bossi never said that his own party would pursue non-democratic means, because of the ambiguity of his words, criticism was unanimous from the opposition Union coalition, but also by the more moderate components of the House of Freedoms coalition, to which the League belongs. Some months later, Bossi delivered a speech at a meeting of the independentist faction of the League, led by Mario Borghezio, saying that the movement will pursue its goals only through legal and institutional means. Two days later Roberto Castelli, Senate floor leader of the League, remarked that "secession is dead", referring to any possibility of secession at that time, though independence for Padania remains the final and long-term goal of the party. LUnione (The Union in English) is an Italian left-wing coalition of parties. ... Casa delle Libertà, or House of Freedoms in English, is an Italian right of center party alliance led by national media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. ... Mario Borghezio Mario Borghezio (born on 3 December 1947 in Torino) is a Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Lega Nord, Member of the Bureau of the Independence and Democracy and sits on the European Parliaments Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and... Roberto Castelli (Lecco 12Th of July 1946) is the current Minister of Justice in italian Government, Senator and a preeminent exponent of Lega Nord party. ...

Leading members

• Umberto Bossi, federal secreatary and former minister for Institutional Reforms (2001-04)
• Roberto Maroni, floor leader in the Chamber of Deputies and former minister of Interior (1994-95) and Labour (2001-06)
• Roberto Castelli, floor leader in the Senate and former minister of Justice (2001-06)
• Roberto Calderoli, Vice President of the Senate, head of party machine and former minister for Institutional Reforms (2004-06)
• Giancarlo Giorgetti, national secretary of Lega Lombarda
• Giampaolo Gobbo, national secretary of Liga Veneta
• Roberto Cota, national secretary of Lega Nord-Piemònt
• Luca Zaia, Vice President and agriculture minister of Veneto Region

Umberto Bossi, with a green Padania-inspired handkerchief. ... Roberto Maroni (born March 15, 1955 in Varese) is the Italian Minister of Welfare and a member of the Northern League. ... Roberto Castelli (Lecco 12Th of July 1946) is the current Minister of Justice in italian Government, Senator and a preeminent exponent of Lega Nord party. ... Roberto Calderoli is an Italian politician, currently the Reforms Minister, member of the Lega Nord. ... Giancarlo Giorgetti was national secretary of the Lombard League from 2002. ... Giampaolo Gobbo, founding member of the Liga Veneta in 1979, was national president of the party from 1994 to 1998, when he succeded to Fabrizio Comencini as national secretary. ... Luca Zaia, young president of the Proivince of Treviso from 1997 to 2005 (elected two times with the only support of the Northern League in 1997 and 2002), is definitely the rising-star of Umberto Bossis Northern League in Veneto and thgough the very leader of the Liga Veneta. ...

See also

• List of active autonomist and secessionist movements

This is a list of currently active, autonomist and secessionist movements around the world. ...

Notes and references

1. ↑  Collection of various insults from Umberto Bossi directed to Silvio Berlusconi, collected by Marco Travaglio. (Italian)
2. ↑  Italian general election, 2006 cites this to Interior Ministry of Italy: Seats; link not accessible 3 September 2006.
3. ↑  Article by Teresa Küchler for the EU Observer, reprinted by The Muslim News, about the expulsion of the League from the Independence and Democracy group at the EU parliament.
4. ↑  Collection of quotes in support of Slobodan Milošević by various League leaders. (Italian)
5. ↑  Bossi: the EU intervention is a grave error, from La Repubblica, February 3, 2000. (Italian)
6. ↑  Milano, Bossi contro il prefetto "Niente case ai bingo bongo". La Repubblica, 4 December 2003, accessed 15 Aug 2005. (Italian)
7. ↑  Paolo Rumiz, Sul "treno degli africani" Vagoni separati? No, grazie. La Repubblica, 19 January 2003, accessed 15 Aug 2005. (Italian)
8. ↑  Giovanna Pajetta, Bossi prende il cannone, accessed 15 Aug 2005 on a Geocities site that says it is reprinted from Il Manifesto, 17 June 2003. (Italian)
9. ↑  Emilio Marrese Ramadan, sindaco nega lo spazio Benetton concede il palazzetto. La Repubblica, 3 December 2002, accessed 15 Aug 2005.
10. ↑  Invitation to 'rape' Pecoraro on a banner at a League festival, article by La Repubblica. (Italian)
11. ↑  Borghezio, the fire was willful, article by Il Gazzettino, September 6, 2005. (Italian)
12. ↑  Umanitaria Padana: in Darfur missione compiuta ("Umanitaria Padana: in Darfur, mission completed"), article in La Padania, October 6, 2005. (Italian)

Marco Travaglio (Turin, 1964) is a Italian journalist and writer. ... A general election for the renewal of the two Chambers of the Parliament of Italy was held on April 9 and April 10, 2006. ... La Repubblica (meaning: The Republic) is an Italian daily newspaper. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... La Repubblica (meaning: The Republic) is an Italian daily newspaper. ... La Repubblica (meaning: The Republic) is an Italian daily newspaper. ... Il Manifesto (Italian for The Manifesto) is an Italian communist newspaper. ... La Repubblica (meaning: The Republic) is an Italian daily newspaper. ... La Repubblica (meaning: The Republic) is an Italian daily newspaper. ... September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Lega Nord official site
• La Padania official party organ (newspaper)
• Miss Padania beauty pagent supported by Lega Nord
• Movimento Giovani Padani Lega Nord's youth movement
• Associazione Umanitaria Padana Onlus Humanitarian association
• Padania (Lega Nord) Paper Money

Political parties of Italy

	The Union	House of Freedoms
Represented in Parliament	Federation of the Olive Tree (Democrats of the Left, Daisy-Democracy and Freedom, European Republican Movement) | Communist Refoundation Party | Rose in the Fist (Italian Democratic Socialists, Italian Radicals) | Party of Italian Communists | Italy of Values | Federation of the Greens | Popular-UDEUR | South Tyrolese People's Party | Autonomy Liberty Democracy	Forza Italia | National Alliance | Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | LN/MpA (Northern League, Movement for Autonomy) | New DC/NPSI (Christian Democracy for the Autonomies, Socialist Party New PSI) | For Italy in the World with Tremaglia
Minor	Pensioners' Party | The Socialists | Italian Democratic Socialist Party | Left-Wing Radicals | Federation of Italian Liberals | Federation of Liberal Democrats | United Democratic Christians | Consumers' List | New Party of Action | United Consumers | Party of Christian Democracy | Republicans for the Union (Democratic Republicans, Republican Democracy) | League for Autonomy-Lombard Alliance | Project Sardinia | Veneto Front League	Social Alternative (Social Action, New Force, National Social Front) | Social Movement Tricolour Flame | Italian Liberal Party | Liberal Reformers | No Euro Movement | Italian Republican Party | Secular Italy | United Pensioners | Christian Extended Pact | CD - Shield with the Cross - Libertas | Environmental List-Ecological Democrats | Federalist Greens | S.O.S. Italy | New Sicily | Pact for Sicily | Unitalia
Regional	Aosta Valley Live | Die Freiheitlichen | Valdotanian Union | Ladins | Sardinian Action Party | Independence-Republic of Sardinia | Sardinia Nation | Union for South Tyrol | Sicilian Alliance
Others	Fascism and Freedom Movement | For the South | Green Greens | Humanist Party | Internationalist Communist Party | Italian Association in South America | Italian Marxist-Leninist Party | Liberal Socialist Action Party | Marxist-Leninist Italian Communist Party | Moderate Italy | Monarchist Alliance | National Democratic Party | National New Order | National Right-New ISM | North-East Project | Pact of Liberal Democrats | Social Idea Movement | Southern League
Historical	Christian Democracy | Italian Communist Party | Italian Socialist Party | Italian Social Movement | Democratic Party of the Left | Proletarian Democracy | Proletarian Unity Party | Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity] | Unified Socialist Party | Italian Democratic Socialist Party | Democratic Alliance | National Fascist Party