Politics · Italy · 7 hrs ago
Garavaglia challenges Salvini for leadership of Italy’s League party
Massimo Garavaglia plans to challenge Matteo Salvini for leadership of Italy’s League party at its congress next week.
Garavaglia, a former minister who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, says the party has lost its soul.
He argues the League should not be a far-right party and should bring together different political views around the federalist idea of its founder, Umberto Bossi.
He also wants the party to listen more to young people and says it should favour the economic approach of Giancarlo Giorgetti over that of Claudio Borghi.
The leadership contest will put the party’s direction in focus, though the result is expected to be clear-cut.
The congress will also set the party’s political leadership and confirm a new symbol, while possible changes to its parliamentary group leaders remain unofficial.
Massimo Garavaglia is challenging Matteo Salvini for leadership of Italy’s League party, a week before its congress.
Garavaglia said the party had “lost its soul” and that he was running to unite it and represent views he feared could be excluded.
He argued the League should not be a far-right party and should give more attention to young people’s rights.
Salvini supporter Igor Iezzi questioned what Garavaglia would do differently, including on security and the party’s political alliances.
The congress is also expected to define the party’s political secretariat and formally present a new symbol.
- Who
- Massimo Garavaglia is challenging Matteo Salvini, the League’s current leader.
- What
- Garavaglia is running for leadership of the League party.
- When
- The challenge was reported on October 18, 2026, one week before the party congress.
- Where
- Italy.
- Why
- Garavaglia said he wanted to unite the party and represent views at risk of being excluded.
Massimo Garavaglia
Igor Iezzi
Party identity
Massimo Garavaglia
Garavaglia said the League is not a far-right party and should be open to different political views.
Igor Iezzi
Iezzi said no one in the party thinks it should be far right, but asked what Garavaglia’s position means in practice.
Policy and direction
Massimo Garavaglia
Garavaglia called for more attention to young people’s rights and said he preferred Giorgetti’s economic line to Borghi’s.
Igor Iezzi
Iezzi asked whether Garavaglia meant the party could not discuss security or should leave the Patriots group for the European People’s Party.
ANSA reported Garavaglia’s challenge to Salvini, one week before the League congress.
The League congress is due to discuss the party’s political secretariat and formally present a new symbol.
- Challenger
- Massimo Garavaglia
- Current leader
- Matteo Salvini
- Party
- Italy’s League
- Congress timing
- One week after the October 18 report
- Garavaglia’s stated aim
- Unite the party and represent views at risk of exclusion
What people are saying
The League has lost its soul
I ran to unite, to bring forward demands that risked being left out
The first objective is to start talking to people again
I hear only slogans; none of us thinks the League should be far right