Padania yes, Padania no: two months of quick repartee

“There are no people of Padania; talking about a Lombard-Veneto State is preposterous; the course of history cannot be changed.” This is what the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano, said just two months ago in relation to the historical-political-cultural reasons adopted by Northern League members when expressing the idea of the existence of Padania. “It’s clear, the people of Padania don’t exist,” he said. “There’s discussion about fiscal federalism, greater participation is asked of the Regions; this is all legitimate, but if people were to go from talking to preparing for something like secession, everything would change.” Napolitano He went on to warn anyone in the Northern League that was seeking to reintroduce the question of “secession”. During those days, sensing that something was wrong in the Government, it was Umberto Bossi who relaunched the League with its call for opposition and secession. In the middle November, the parliament of Padania opened its doors again. Of the numerous reactions, we should mention those of the three League councillors of Gallarate, who expressed their views with a partial “striptease”, during the council meeting, in response to the snub of the opposition parties.

Some high-ranking League politicians responded to Napolitano, starting with the Euro-MP Matteo Salvini, who reminded the President that “the Lombard-Veneto region has a longer history that that of the Italian Republic, he need only open a school textbook. My son, who’s in the third year at primary school, is studying these things this year. I’ll send Napolitano a copy of the book, so he catch up.” Then, Roberto Calderoli brought up the people’s right to self-determination. And then, during the programme broadcast on the channel, Radio 24, “La Zanzara”, Gianluca Buonanno, the most local League politician, mentioned Grana Padano cheese as proof of the existence of the people of Padania and of Padania. Also Varesenews readers got excited over the topic, with a hundred comments about the article on the President’s words, ending with the suggestion of annexing Varese Province to Switzerland.

Luciana Ruffinelli has been credited with bringing to the discussion better arguments than those of her party colleague, who sits in the Chamber of Deputies. Her book entitled “Padania è – Ragioni storiche, geografiche, sociali e culturali” (“Padania exists – Historical, geographical, social and cultural reasons”) presents the views of important people in Italian culture, from Giovanni Guareschi to Camillo Benso di Cavour, and in journalism, from Giorgio Bocca to Gianni Brera.