Radical right populism and the backlash against gender equality: the case of the Lega (Nord)

Abstract

The Italian Lega is part of the political phenomenon of far right populism that is on the rise in Europe. Since 2013, under Matteo Salvini’s leadership, the party has moved to the radical right, in the name of the people. This ideological transformation, built on nationalization and othering processes, has made the Lega a radical right populist party with a conservative agenda on gender and family issues. The most virulent attack against women’s and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans) rights came when the Lega was in power with the Five-star Movement after the 2018 general election. This article uses critical frame analysis to explore the Lega’s ideological transformation, with the aim of identifying when, how and why gender became a salient issue in the Lega’s ideology and made the party the key player in backsliding on gender equality policies in Italy.

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