The populist Italian Lega from ethno-regionalism to radical right-wing nationalism: backsliding gender equality policies with a little help from the anti- gender movement.

The piece is about the attacks against gender equality and women's rights in Italy during the first year of the populist coalition government supported by the Lega and Five- Star Movement. Specifically, my aim is to discuss the role of the far right party Lega and its leader Matteo Salvini in promoting and defending the centrality of the Italian 'natural' family, by establishing strategic electoral alliances with fundamentalist and conservative catholic groups (pro-life associations and actors of the anti-gender campaigns) and supporting the inclusion of their conservative program inside the government contract. The analysis will also include an overview of the controversial Pillon bill on sharing child custody and of the contested event of the International Congress of Families held in Verona in March 2019.