Lega Nord

Lega Nord (LN; English: Northern League), whose complete name is Lega Nord per l'Indipendenza della Padania (English: Northern League for the Independence of Padania), is a right-wing, federalist, populist and conservative political party in Italy. In the run-up to the 2018 general election, the party was rebranded as Lega (English: League), without changing its official name. The party was nonetheless frequently referred to only as "Lega" even before the rebranding, and informally as the Carroccio (lit. 'big chariot'). The party's latest elected leader was Matteo Salvini.

In 1989, the LN was established as a federation of six regional parties from northern and north-central Italy (Liga Veneta, Lega Lombarda, Piemont Autonomista, Uniun Ligure, Lega Emiliano-Romagnola and Alleanza Toscana), which became the party's founding "national" sections in 1991. The party's founder and long-time federal secretary was Umberto Bossi, later federal president. The LN has advocated the transformation of Italy from a unitary to a federal state, fiscal federalism, regionalism and greater regional autonomy, especially for northern regions. At times, the party has advocated the secession of northern Italy, which the party has referred to as "Padania", and, thus, Padanian nationalism. The party has always opposed illegal immigration and often adopted Eurosceptic stances.