The League of Salvini : from a Europe of Regions to a Europe of Nations

The electoral success of the League of Salvini (Northern League) is one of the most important novelties in the Italian political context. The party enjoyed a long spell in power as part of the previous centre-right government led by Silvio Berlusconi. Since 2018, it has been the dominant partner in its coalition and enjoys the greatest support of any single party amongst the electorate. This was a product of an alliance with the Five Star Movement, but following its implosion and a failed attempt to force new elections, the League has returned to the status of an opposition party. The chapter aims to compare the old and the new League and investigate the reasons behind the shift from ethno-regionalism to right-wing nationalism/sovereignism, and how and why the party survived the multiple crises (electoral, political, moral crisis) that it has experienced in its recent history. It will investigate the effects these changes have had on the composition of its electorate, the characteristics of its political projects and alliances at national and international level. Particular attention is devoted to the analysis of the rhetoric used against EU integration, the European Commission and in favour of a different ‘Europe of nations’.