Separatist Northern League makes gains in Italy

By Robin Pomeroy

ROME (Reuters) - A separatist party that would like to declare Italy's rich north a sovereign republic independent from Rome was on course on Monday to be a surprise winner in Italy's election.

A partial count suggested the Northern League, a junior partner of conservative election winner Silvio Berlusconi, could win 8-9 percent of the national vote, doubling the 4.5 percent it won at the last election in 2006.

Most of the League's supporters are concentrated in the industrial north it calls "Padania". Its firebrand leader, Umberto Bossi, once recommended the navy should fire at migrant boat people.

An economic downturn and concerns about immigration appear to have galvanized support for the League, which used a campaign poster featuring a native American and the slogan: "They were also subjected to immigration, now they live in reserves."

"The wind is blowing from the north. It's a great result for the League," parliamentarian Roberto Cota said at party headquarters in Milan.

"(Berlusconi) will win thanks to the League," political commentator Sergio Romano told reporters during the count. "And if the League is decisive, he'll have to pay for it."

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Bossi brought down the first Berlusconi government just months after it took office in 1994 but proved a loyal partner in the 2001-6 administration. A mere 3.9 percent of the vote ensured his party three significant ministerial posts.