The Political Economy of Padania: The Lega Nord and its Economic Programme

Political scientists argue that for populist radical right parties cultural issues, such as opposition to immigration and Islam, take precedence over economic concerns. The economic context of the Lega’s stronghold, embedded in the small and medium sized businesses in the North-Eastern regions of Italy, the concerns of Lega voters, and the economic policies of the party have always been important. In this chapter I trace the economic program of the Lega Nord: arguing that it has moved from focusing on a market ideology to an increasingly welfare protectionist and anti-globalization position. However, it is also demonstrated that in reality it is not possible to make such a black and white distinction: traces of these market and welfare chauvinist/ anti-globalization positions can be found throughout the Lega’s participation in Italian politics.