Abstract

The attempts of the "Lega Nord" for a secession of the northern part of Italy and for the creation of an independent state of "Padania" can be interpreted as one outcome of the still existing political dissatisfaction of Italian citizens with the working of democratic institutions. By using data of Eurobarometer and national surveys this paper examines to which extent secession is a "real" alternative for overcoming the political dissatisfaction. According to the analysis, secession can be interpreted as a password restricted to the extremists of the "Lega Nord". The majority of citizens ask for a renewal of the whole system: the current structure of the State is considered a good one in comparison with other models: it has only to work better. To reach this aim, it is desirable to find positive solutions and not fragmentational ones.