ABSTRACT
The chapter deals with the peculiar case of the Lega Nord (LN), which tried to build an entirely new identity for Northern Italy out of a vague perception of cultural difference between the north and the south of the country. It dissects the party’s narrative of fiscal victimisation, stressing the existence of a cultural-determinist argument about the region’s socio-economic development that has enabled the LN to reject solidarity with the south on the basis of the deservingness criteria of control, attitude and reciprocity. The chapter provides evidence of considerable transfers between some northern regions and the rest of the country, but also nuances much of the LN’s arguments. It further emphasises the link between the rise of the LN and the formation of the so-called Third Italy.
