Salvini re-elected secretary of the League, ‘Federal Italy’ arrives in the symbol

Matteo Salvini is confirmed, for the fourth time, at the helm of the League and already changes the symbol of the party, as had been filtered in recent days, eliminating his name from the logo, replaced by the wording ‘Federal Italy’. Then he raises the issue of aid to Kiev: “We cannot continue to send money and weapons to Ukraine.” A position, Salvini explained, that the deputy prime minister will bring to the table of the next Council of Ministers. In the story of the last day of the extraordinary congress of the party founded by Umberto Bossi it is inevitable to start from the credits, therefore from the numbers.

The vote: 465 preferences against 146

In the end, despite the comments of the delegates of the challenger Massimo Garavaglia on the danger of ‘marked’ ballots and possible photos at the polling station to demonstrate preference, the vote was closed and the abacus scored 465 votes for Salvini and 146 for the former Minister of Tourism. 76% for the deputy prime minister, almost 24% for Garavaglia. A result quite in line with the expectations of the day before, which makes the group leader in the Senate Massimiliano Romeo, yesterday among the most critical of Salvini, say that there was a “real discomfort, not only in Lombardy”.

The speech of the re-elected secretary

After the proclamation and a hug on stage with his opponent, the re-elected secretary distances the background on possible “purges” and promises that “he will be intransigent with those who do not pay money to the party”. He then warms up the audience, which had welcomed him with the chorus ‘Matteo, Matteo’ and a series of banners, including one that hoped for his return to the Interior Ministry, saying that “on the evening of the elections Giorgia Meloni will return as Prime Minister and Lega Italia Federale will be the second coalition party, for the moment”.

The new symbol: ‘Federal Italy’ instead of ‘Salvini prime minister’

Yes, because the League will no longer have the wording ‘Salvini Prime Minister’ in its symbol, replaced by ‘Federal Italy’. A look to the future in view of the next political elections, but also a reference to the past, claimed by Salvini himself when he showed on the stage of the Allianz MiCo the logo with the Alberto da Giussano and the writing ‘Italia Federale’ with which the League presented itself in the South and in Lazio from 1993 to 1995, under the leadership of Bossi. And the deputy prime minister, in his speech, to respond to those who had accused him of leading the League towards the far right, betraying the history of the party, shows a series of Northern League posters from past seasons.

Salvini claims that, even in other phases of its parable, the League has never given up on strong tones and shows perhaps the best-known manifesto, the one on immigration with the American Indian. “They couldn’t put rules on immigration, now they live in reserves,” we read, next to the image of a native.

The debate on the position of the party

The debate on the party’s place on the political spectrum was the underlying theme of today. Deputy secretary Silvia Sardone is clear: “I heard that we are neither right nor left, I have never been and will never be a communist.” With her the minister Giuseppe Valditara: “I have always been anti-communist, never on the left”. In his speech, Garavaglia outlines a different positioning: “‘Neither black nor red, but free with Bossi’ Salvini chanted, leading the procession of young people from the Po Valley, the League is neither on the right nor on the left”. The ‘summary’ is made by minister Giancarlo Giorgetti. “I believed and believe in the National League but I don’t believe in the nationalist League, I believe in the League of identities which is what distinguishes us from homologation”, says the Minister of Economy, defining himself as “conservative”. The identity appeal against the opponent of “homologation” also echoes in the words of the President of the Chamber Lorenzo Fontana, who remarks: “I don’t want us to die photocopies”.

Vannacci’s “betrayal” is also the backdrop today. “We bought a player, it didn’t work,” recalls Garavaglia, who invites us to “fish from the nursery”. “Someone talks, we do things”, is Salvini’s opinion regarding the leader of Futuro Nazionale. Garavaglia, as Romeo did yesterday, underlines that “the objective is to reverse the trend” and “we must wake up”. From Salvini the lash at the allies, of whom “we ask to respect our positions”, because “in the regions where we are in the majority I will no longer tolerate the League being treated as a second-class ally”. Among the positions, that on Ukraine, with Salvini ready “to bring to the CDM” the stop to “arms and money” in Kiev.

On the League front, however, the timetable for the next steps needs to be developed. Starting from the launch of the new political secretariat, for which “we will have to wait a week or two”, explains Salvini. He adds: “They gave me the mandate to establish this secretary who will have to involve all the territories, we leave the currents to Schlein and the Democratic Party.” While, regarding the candidatures, he says that “whoever has consensus” will be chosen. Quick times also for the approval of the new symbol, which will have to pass through a meeting of the Federal Council to be convened shortly.