Padanian nationalism

Padanian nationalism is an ideology and a regionalist movement demanding more autonomy, or even independence from Italy, for Padania.

Lega Nord, a federation of regional parties of Northern Italy, is the main political proponent of Padania, although there are some other minor Padanian nationalist parties (such as Lega Padana, Lega Padana Lombardia/Padanian Union and the Alpine Padanian Union).

In 1996 a short-lived separatist-Padanist movement, the Padanian Independentist Movement, was formed in Veneto and the Federal Republic of Padania was proclaimed. Another one, Veneto Padanian Federal Republic, emerged in 1999 and lasted only a few years.

There are also some intellectuals (such as Gilberto Oneto, Giancarlo Pagliarini, Leonardo Facco and late Gianfranco Miglio), who broke with the League but have continued to be keen Padanists. In January 2012 Gianluca Marchi, a former editor of La Padania, launched L'Indipendenza, an online newspaper, as the voice of independent Padanism and Padanian libertarianism. Oneto, Pagliarini and Facco were all contributing editors of the new paper.

Lega Nord unilaterally proclaimed the independence of Padania on 15 September 1996 in Venice, but since then has come back to its original federalist credo, although the party constitution continues to declare that the independence of Padania is the party's final goal. In that occasion Umberto Bossi, the leader of Lega Nord, while reading the Padanian Declaration of Independence, echoing the United States Declaration of Independence, proclaimed:

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