Since Unification Italy has experienced three different regimes and since 1992, has been undergoing a difficult politico-institutional transition. In the Twenty-One years running between 1922 and 1943, Mussolini (a fascist) instituted an authoritarian regime that led the country towards socio-economic modernisation, albeit at the cost of a disastrous war alliance with Nazi Germany.
The Italian Monarchy was abolished through referendum in 1946, creating a republic with a parliamentary form of government. A constitution assembly drafted a constitution that was more progressive with respect to civil, political, and social rights, yet retained traditional elements in respect to the key institutions and structures of the state.
Today the Nation of Italy is being somewhat threatened by Umberto Bossi’s political party the ‘Northern League’. Established in 1982, the ‘Lombard League’ was formed initially as a members only club, interested in the language and culture of the region of Lombardy, but later changed to become a political party devoted to its autonomy.
Umberto Bossi was heavily influenced by the ideas of Bruno Salvadori. Salvadori convinced him of two things: that Italy was a nation divided by different cultures and languages; and also that Italy would benefit more by being a federation of regions, rather than existing as a single nation state.
During the early 1980’s the Lombard League struggled, but Bossi’s anti-government, anti-southern and anti-immigration rhetoric soon caught the attention of many middle class northerners.
In December 1989, the league met with other like-minded organizations at a “national congress”. Bossi merged his party with two other regional parties: La Liga Veneta and Piemont Autonomista, plus several other smaller groups. At the beginning, each organization was relatively autonomous, but by February 1991, the party consolidated itself into the Lega Nord or the Northern League.
On 21st April 1996, the Northern League emerged from the Italian national elections as the number one single political force in Pandania at around 24% of the popular vote (against 19.5% in 1994). Its closest competitor was Berlusconi’s Forza Italia at around 21.1% (25.1% in 1994). At a national level, the League won 10.1% of the vote for the Chamber (sending 59 deputies to Rome) and 10.4% of the Senate (sending 27 Senators to Rome). In many of the most northerly electoral districts, the League came close to - or actually had - an absolute majority.
