The Lega Nord and Contemporary Politics in Italy - (Europe in Transition: The NYU European Studies) by T Gold (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The 'Lega Nord' is one of the most important right-wing populist parties to emerge in Western Europe during the past two decades. It continues to play a very significant role in Italian politics. The author links the Lega Nord's rise to the socioeconomic development of the north over the south in Italy and the political process which created a voting block in the south. This led the north of Italy to see 'Rome' as a predatory entity, drawing resources and impeding progress in the north to support the south. The author examines this process and explores the implications it produces for the whole of Europe.

Review Quotes

"Will the age of European unification paradoxically fragment European states and promote right-wing chauvinism? Tom Gold knowledgeably places Italy's northern separatist movements in the country's political history, identifying the fault lines that have opened up in Italy's centralized regime and offering a concerned but balanced view of possible futures." -- Charles Tilly, Joseph L. Buttenwieser Professor of Social Science, Columbia University

"Gold offers a parsimonious, elegant and highly persuasive analysis of the factors that explain one of the most important events in postwar Italian political history -- the collapse of the first republic in the early 1990s. Although Gold is primarily interested in explaining the rise and success of the Lega Nord, his main focus is on the revolt of North Italy, one of the economically most dynamic and prosperous regions in Europe. His investigation of the causes of Northern Italian political disenchantment has implications and offers lessons that go far beyond the narrow confines of Italian politics. This makes this study an important addition to the literature on comparative politics in advanced liberal capitalist democracies." -- Hans-Georg Betz, University of Geneva


“Will the age of European unification paradoxically fragment European states and promote right-wing chauvinism? Tom Gold knowledgeably places Italy's northern separatist movements in the country's political history, identifying the fault lines that have opened up in Italy's centralized regime and offering a concerned but balanced view of possible futures.” -- Charles Tilly, Joseph L. Buttenwieser Professor of Social Science, Columbia University
“Gold offers a parsimonious, elegant and highly persuasive analysis of the factors that explain one of the most important events in postwar Italian political history -- the collapse of the first republic in the early 1990s. Although Gold is primarily interested in explaining the rise and success of the Lega Nord, his main focus is on the revolt of North Italy, one of the economically most dynamic and prosperous regions in Europe. His investigation of the causes of Northern Italian political disenchantment has implications a

About the Author

THOMAS GOLD is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Sacred Heart University. He focuses on Italian politics and conducted research in Italy on a Fulbright Fellowship.