Northern League

From radicalism to moderation

Bibliographic Data

ID22149595
AuthorsIl'ya Igorevich Zaitsev (corresponding author)
Year2026
Issue2
Pages102-120
Publication date2026-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueПраво и политика (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2454-0706 • E-ISSN: 2454-0706
PublisherAurora Group, s.r.o (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.7256/2454-0706.2026.2.71429
OpenAlexW7132828857
LanguageEN
References cited16

The article is devoted to the transformation processes within one of the key Italian parties – the Northern League, now simply the League. This party occupies an important place in the party-political system of Italy. Its existence has been marked by both ups and downs. The party reached its peak in 2018. Further metamorphoses in the ideological core of the party are of particular interest, since the League is a populist party, which means that its ideological core is quite mobile, which allows for a better assessment of changes in ideological concepts: nationalism, Euroscepticism and populism in the historical context. Modification of the party ideology or individual concepts indicates changes in the demands of various social groups. The success or failure of articulating the interests of civil society is illustrated by electoral successes in parliamentary elections. Analysis of the transformation of the League party in 2018–2022 is based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines the provisions of comparative political science, party and ideology theory, and discourse analysis. The main factors that caused the transformation of the ideological component of the League are identified. This is primarily due to the positioning of the party as a right-wing populist party, which is a threat to mainstream parties. The use of aggressive rhetoric and radical proposals and ideas contrast sharply with the statements of traditional parties, which is reflected in the party's support in the elections. The period from the formation of the coalition with the Five Star Movement in 2018 to the formation of the coalition led by J. Meloni in 2022 is analyzed. During this period, the League underwent several transformations that affected its position within the party-political system. Although reliance on populism helped the League achieve high electoral success, a number of erroneous decisions and support for the ruling coalition naturally led to moderate rhetoric and a decrease in conflict with other parties. In order to maintain a high rating in the competitive struggle, the party had to revise a number of its provisions, which are an important component of the party’s ideology

Ideology · League · Mainstream · Political radicalism · Populism · Rhetoric · Italian Fascism and Post-war Society · Political theory and Gramsci · Populism, Right-Wing Movements

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