League (Italy)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Lega (), whose official name is Lega per Salvini Premier (, LSP or LpSP), is a
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right populism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establishm ...
political party in Italy This is a list of political parties in Italy since Italian unification in 1861. Throughout history, numerous political parties have been operating in Italy. Since World War II no party has ever gained enough support to govern alone; thus, partie ...
, led by
Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini (; born 9 March 1973) is an Italian politician who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport since 2022. He has been List of F ...
. The LSP is the informal successor of
Lega Nord Lega Nord (LN; ), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing politics, right-wing, federalism, federalist, populism, populist and conservatism, conservative list of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy. In the run-up to the 201 ...
(, LN). The LSP was established in December 2017 as the sister party of the LN, active in
northern Italy Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...
, and as the replacement of
Us with Salvini Us with Salvini (, NcS) was a populist political party in Italy. The party, founded by Matteo Salvini on 19 December 2014, was the sister party of Lega Nord (LN) for southern Italy, Lazio, and Sardinia (where the LN regional section was never r ...
(NcS), LN's previous affiliate in central and
southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
. The new party aimed at offering LN's values and policies to the rest of the country. Some political commentators described the LSP as a parallel party of the LN, with the aim of politically replacing it, also because of its statutory debt of €49 million. Indeed, since January 2020, the LN has become mostly inactive and has been practically supplanted by the LSP, which is active all around Italy. The LSP came third in the 2018 general election and first in the
2019 European Parliament election The 2019 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 23 and 26 May 2019. It was the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) we ...
. Like the LN, the LSP is a confederation of regional parties, of which the largest and long-running are
Liga Veneta Liga Veneta (; ; abbr. LV), whose complete name is (), is a regionalist political party active in Veneto. The LV, whose ideology combines Venetian nationalism and support for fiscal federalism, was established in 1979 under the slogan "farthe ...
and
Lega Lombarda Lega Lombarda (; abbr. LL), whose complete name is (), is a regionalism (politics), regionalist List of political parties in Italy, political party active in Lombardy. Established in 1984, it was one of the founding "national" sections of Lega ...
, established in 1980 and 1984, respectively. Despite misgivings within the party's Padanian nationalist faction, the
political base In politics, a candidate or party's base or core support refers to the voters who support them for elected office based on core values. On the left–right political spectrum, left-leaning bases tend to be liberal while right-leaning bases tend to ...
of the LSP is in northern Italy, where the party gets most of its support and where it has maintained the traditional
autonomist Autonomism or ''autonomismo'', also known as autonomist Marxism or autonomous Marxism, is an anti-capitalist Anti-capitalism is a political ideology and Political movement, movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose ...
outlook of the LN, especially in
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
and
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
. In February 2021, the League joined
Mario Draghi Mario Draghi (; born 3 September 1947) is an Italian politician, economist, academic, banker, statesman, and civil servant, who served as the prime minister of Italy from 13 February 2021 to 22 October 2022. Prior to his appointment as prime mi ...
's
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
of
national unity Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, Id ...
. After a disappointing result in the
2022 general election The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2022. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2022 United Nations Security Council election * 2022 national electoral calendar * 2022 loca ...
, the party joined
Giorgia Meloni Giorgia Meloni (; born 15 January 1977) is an Italian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Italy since 2022. She is the first woman to hold the office. A member of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), Chamber of Deputies since 2006, s ...
's
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
with five ministers, including
Giancarlo Giorgetti Giancarlo Giorgetti (; born 16 December 1966) is an Italian politician and prominent member of the League, of which he became deputy secretary in 2016. Since October 2022, Giorgetti has served as Minister of Economy and Finance in the governme ...
as minister of Economy and Finance and Salvini as
deputy prime minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
and minister of Infrastructure and Transport. The League also participates in 15 regional governments, including those of the two autonomous provinces. Five regional presidents, including
Attilio Fontana Attilio Fontana (born 28 March 1952) is an Italian politician from Varese, Lombardy. He has served as President of Lombardy since 2018 leading a centre-right coalition. Biography Early political career A long-time member of Lega Lombarda and Leg ...
(
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
),
Luca Zaia Luca Zaia (born 27 March 1968) is an Italian politician, who has been President of Veneto since 2010, and a historical member of Lega Nord, other than being the most Progressivism in the United States, progressive member of his own party. Suppor ...
(
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
) and
Massimiliano Fedriga Massimiliano Fedriga (born 2 July 1980) is an Italian Northern League politician. He is the president of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia autonomous region. Biography Born in Verona on 2 July 1980 and raised in Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city a ...
(
Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea. Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of and a ...
), are party members. Fedriga is also the president of the
Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces The Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, originally named "Conference of Presidents of Regions and Autonomous Provinces", is a political body of coordination between the regions of Italy and, chiefly, their presidents. Established in P ...
.


History


Background

The
Lega Nord Lega Nord (LN; ), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing politics, right-wing, federalism, federalist, populism, populist and conservatism, conservative list of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy. In the run-up to the 201 ...
(LN) was established in 1989 as a federation of six regional parties from
northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating ...
and north-
central Italy Central Italy ( or ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first-level NUTS region with code ITI, and a European Parliament constituency. It has 11,704,312 inhabita ...
(
Liga Veneta Liga Veneta (; ; abbr. LV), whose complete name is (), is a regionalist political party active in Veneto. The LV, whose ideology combines Venetian nationalism and support for fiscal federalism, was established in 1979 under the slogan "farthe ...
,
Lega Lombarda Lega Lombarda (; abbr. LL), whose complete name is (), is a regionalism (politics), regionalist List of political parties in Italy, political party active in Lombardy. Established in 1984, it was one of the founding "national" sections of Lega ...
, Piemont Autonomista, Uniun Ligure, Lega Emiliano-Romagnola and Alleanza Toscana), which became the party's founding "national" sections in 1991.
Umberto Bossi Umberto Bossi (born 19 September 1941) is an Italian politician and former leader of (Northern League), a party seeking autonomy or independence for Northern Italy or Padania. He is married to the Sicilian Manuela Marrone, and has four sons, ...
was the party's founder and later long-time federal secretary. The LN long advocated the transformation of Italy from a
unitary state A unitary state is a (Sovereign state, sovereign) State (polity), state governed as a single entity in which the central government is the supreme authority. The central government may create or abolish administrative divisions (sub-national or ...
to a
federation A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
,
fiscal federalism As a subfield of public economics, fiscal federalism is concerned with "understanding which functions and instruments are best centralized and which are best placed in the sphere of decentralized levels of government" (Oates, 1999). In other word ...
, regionalism and greater regional
autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be ...
, especially for northern
regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
. At times, the party advocated the
secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
of the North, which the party referred to as "
Padania Padania ( , , ) is an alternative name and proposed independent state encompassing Northern Italy, derived from the name of the Po River (Latin ''Padus''), whose basin includes much of the region, centered on the Po Valley (), the major plain of ...
", and consequently
Padanian nationalism Padanian nationalism is an ideology and a regionalist movement demanding more autonomy, or even independence from Italy, for Padania, a region encompassing Northern and, to some extent, part of central Italy. Lega Nord, a federation of regiona ...
. The party always opposed
illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
and often adopted
Eurosceptic Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies and seek refor ...
stances, joining the
Identity and Democracy Identity and Democracy (ID; ) was a political group of the European Parliament during the Ninth European Parliament term, launched on 13 June 2019. It comprised Far right politics, far-right, Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Euroscept ...
group in the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
in 2019. Throughout its history, the LN formed alliances both with centre-right and centre-left parties, but, in general elections, it was usually part of
Silvio Berlusconi Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; 29 September 193612 June 2023) was an Italian Media proprietor, media tycoon and politician who served as the prime minister of Italy in three governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a mem ...
's
centre-right coalition The centre-right coalition () is a political alliance of political parties in Italy active under several forms and names since 1994, when Silvio Berlusconi entered politics and formed the party. It has mostly competed with the centre-left c ...
and, occasionally, ran as a stand-alone party (in
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, gaining its best-so-far result: 10.1% of the vote). In the North several regions have been led by LN members, including
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
(since 2010) and
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
(since 2013). In December 2013,
Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini (; born 9 March 1973) is an Italian politician who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport since 2022. He has been List of F ...
, a
member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...
and former editor-in-chief of Radio Padania Libera, was elected federal secretary of the LN, after having prevailed over Bossi in a
leadership election A leadership election is a political contest held in various countries by which the members of a political party determine who will be the leader of their party. Generally, any political party can determine its own rules governing how and when a ...
. To revive a party overwhelmed by scandals and which had reached historical lows in the
2013 Italian general election General elections were held in Italy on 24 and 25 February 2013 to determine the 630 members of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), Chamber of Deputies and the 315 elective members of the Senate of the Republic (Italy), Senate of the Republic for ...
, Salvini led the LN though dramatic changes, first by re-orienting it toward the European nationalist right. In the run-up of the
2014 European Parliament election The 2014 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 22 and 25 May 2014. It was the 8th parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979, and the first in which the European political parties field ...
, Salvini formed an alliance with the French National Front led by
Marine Le Pen Marion Anne Perrine "Marine" Le Pen (; born 5 August 1968) is a French lawyer and politician of the far-right National Rally, National Rally party (RN). She served as the party's president from 2011 to 2021, and ran for the French presidency in ...
, the Dutch
Party for Freedom The Party for Freedom ( , PVV) is a right-wing populist, far-right political party in the Netherlands. Geert Wilders is the founder, party leader, and sole registered member of the party. Founded in 2006 as the successor to Wilders' one-ma ...
led by
Geert Wilders Geert Wilders (born 6 September 1963) is a Dutch politician who has led the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) since he founded it in 2006. He is also the party's leader in the House of Representatives. Wilders is best known for his right-wing p ...
and other alike parties on the issues of Euroscepticism,
opposition to immigration Opposition to immigration, also known as anti-immigration, is a political position that seeks to restrict immigration. In the modern sense, immigration refers to the entry of people from one state or territory into another state or territory in ...
and
sovereigntism Sovereigntism, sovereignism or souverainism (from , , meaning "the ideology of sovereignty") is the notion of having control over one's conditions of existence, whether at the level of the self, social group, region, nation or globe. Typically ...
, leading to the establishment of the
Identity and Democracy Party Patriots.eu (), formerly known as the Identity and Democracy Party (ID or ID Party) and the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom (MENF), is a nationalist, right-wing populist and Eurosceptic European political party founded in 2014. It ...
(ID Party). The League also started a brief co-operation with
CasaPound CasaPound Italia (abbr. CPI; "House of zraPound") is an Italian neo-fascist movement. It was formerly a political party, born as a network of far-right social centres arising from the occupation of a state-owned building by squatters in th ...
, a
far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
organisation. In December 2014 Salvini launched
Us with Salvini Us with Salvini (, NcS) was a populist political party in Italy. The party, founded by Matteo Salvini on 19 December 2014, was the sister party of Lega Nord (LN) for southern Italy, Lazio, and Sardinia (where the LN regional section was never r ...
(, NcS), with goal of putting forward LN's issues in central and
southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
and expanding the party's electorate.


Road to the new party

In the 2017 leadership election, Salvini was confirmed LN's leader, defeating Gianni Fava, from the party's traditionalist wing. The May 2017 federal congress marked the "national" turnaround. In October 2017, Salvini announced that in the 2018 general election the party would be re-branded simply as "Lega" and would field lists also in central-southern Italy. On 14 December 2017, the "Lega per Salvini Premier" party was established by long-time LN member
Roberto Calderoli Roberto Calderoli (born 18 April 1956) is an Italian politician and a member of the Senate of the Republic. He was a Minister without portfolio for Legislative Simplification in the Berlusconi IV Cabinet. He previously served as Minister without ...
and its constitution was published in the ''
Gazzetta Ufficiale The ''Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana'' () is the official journal of record of the Italian government. It is published by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. Function The ''Gazzetta Ufficiale'' promulgates acts ...
''. LSP's official goals were the transformation of Italy "into a modern federal state through democratic and electoral methods" and the support of "the freedom and sovereignty of peoples at the European level". LSP's symbol was inspired from
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's campaign for the
2016 Republican Party presidential primaries Presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party took place within all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories between February 1 and June 7, 2016. These elections selected the 2,472 delegates that we ...
in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
: a blue rectangle with the words "Lega per Salvini Premier" in white, surrounded by a thin white frame. A week later Salvini presented the new electoral logo: the word "Nord" and the
Sun of the Alps The Sun of the Alps (Italian ''Sole delle Alpi'') is a round ornament consisting of six petals surrounded by a ring touching the outer tips of the petals which usually has a thickness similar to the width of the petals. Since the 1990s, a green ...
were removed, the word "Lega" and the representation of
Alberto da Giussano Alberto da Giussano (in Lombard ''Albert de Giussan'', in Latin ''Albertus de Gluxano'') is a legendary character of the 12th century who would have participated, as a protagonist, in the battle of Legnano on 29 May 1176. In reality, according ...
remained, while the slogan "Salvini Premier" was added. In the 2018 general election, the League gained its best-so-far result of 17.4% of the vote, becoming the largest party within the centre-right coalition and establishing itself as the country's third largest political force. After the election, the party formed an alliance with the populist
Five Star Movement The Five Star Movement ( , M5S) is a political party in Italy, led by Giuseppe Conte. It was launched on 4 October 2009 by Beppe Grillo, a political activist and comedian, and Gianroberto Casaleggio, a web strategist. The party is primarily d ...
(M5S), which had come first in the election with 32.7% of the vote. The so-called " yellow-green government" was led by
Giuseppe Conte Giuseppe Conte (; born 8 August 1964) is an Italian jurist, academic, and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy, prime minister of Italy from June 2018 to February 2021. He has been the president of the Five Star Movement (M5S) sin ...
, an independent jurist close to the M5S, and included Salvini as
minister of the Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
. Since the government's formation, thanks to Salvini's approval as minister, the party was regularly the country's largest party in
opinion polls An opinion poll, often simply referred to as a survey or a poll, is a human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of que ...
, at around or over 30%. In the
2019 European Parliament election The 2019 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 23 and 26 May 2019. It was the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) we ...
, the League won 34.3% of the vote, winning for the first time a plurality of the electorate, while the M5S stopped at 17.1%. In August 2019 Salvini announced his intention to leave the coalition with the M5S, and called for a snap general election. However, after successful talks between the M5S and the Democratic Party (PD), the incumbent government was eventually replaced by a new government led by Conte. The League thus returned into the opposition, together with its electoral allies of the centre-right coalition. During 2019, along with the LN's membership recruitment in the Centre-North, the party launched a parallel drive in the Centre-South for the LSP, practically supplanting NcS. Finally, during a federal congress on 21 December 2019, the party's constitution underwent some major changes, including reduced powers for the federal president, the extension of the federal secretary's and federal council's terms from three to five years, the introduction of "dual membership" and the faculty given to the federal council to grant the use of the party's symbol to other political parties. With the end of its membership drive in August 2020, the LSP became active throughout Italy. The LN, unable to be dissolved because of its burden of €49 million debt to the Italian state, was instead formally kept alive, while its membership cards were donated to former activists.


2020 regional elections

Salvini's popularity was supposed to create better chances for the League to continue its winning streak in regional elections (the latest being the 2019 regional election in
Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...
, where
Donatella Tesei Donatella Tesei (born 17 June 1958) is an Italian politician and lawyer, former President of the Umbria region. Biography Tesei is a civil and administrative lawyer. She served as mayor of Montefalco from 2009 to 2019. She joined the right-win ...
was elected president with 57.6% of the vote and the League obtained 37.0%), particularly in
Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...
, a large region long-governed by the
centre-left coalition The centre-left coalition () is a political alliance of political parties in Italy active under several forms and names since 1995, when The Olive Tree was formed under the leadership of Romano Prodi. The centre-left coalition has ruled the c ...
. However, in the 2020 Emilia-Romagna regional election the party's candidate,
Lucia Borgonzoni Lucia Borgonzoni (born September 18, 1976) is an Italian politician and member of the Senate of Italy. She served as Undersecretary for Cultural Heritage and Activities in the Conte I Cabinet. Biography Daughter of Italian architect Giambattista ...
, stopped at 43.6% of the vote and was defeated by incumbent president
Stefano Bonaccini Stefano Bonaccini (; born 1 January 1967) is an Italian politician and member of the Democratic Party (PD), of which he is serving as president since 12 March 2023. In 2024, he was elected to the European Parliament to represent North-East Ita ...
(PD). The League's list obtained 32.0% and came second after the PD. The LSP, which had already peaked in opinion polls after quitting the yellow-green government, continued a slow decline in opinion polls and would be eventually eclipsed both by the PD and the FdI during 2021. In the
2020 Venetian regional election The 2020 Venetian regional election took place in Veneto on 20 and 21 September 2020. Originally scheduled to take place on 31 May 2020, it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic in Italy and was part of a round of multiple regional electi ...
,
Luca Zaia Luca Zaia (born 27 March 1968) is an Italian politician, who has been President of Veneto since 2010, and a historical member of Lega Nord, other than being the most Progressivism in the United States, progressive member of his own party. Suppor ...
, whose popularity was the result of a long-term focus on his home-region
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
, was re-elected for a third consecutive term with 76.8% of the vote; Liga Veneta fielded two lists, including the League's official one and Zaia's personal list, which obtained 16.9% and 44.6%, respectively. In the Tuscan regional election, League's candidate Susanna Ceccardi was defeated in her bid to become president of Tuscany. The fact that the League had grown electorally only in Veneto and had lost appeal in other regions started to weaken Salvini's leadership, which was more or less silently contested by the "centrist" wing of the party formed by
Giancarlo Giorgetti Giancarlo Giorgetti (; born 16 December 1966) is an Italian politician and prominent member of the League, of which he became deputy secretary in 2016. Since October 2022, Giorgetti has served as Minister of Economy and Finance in the governme ...
, Zaia and all of the party's regional presidents, from Lombardy's
Attilio Fontana Attilio Fontana (born 28 March 1952) is an Italian politician from Varese, Lombardy. He has served as President of Lombardy since 2018 leading a centre-right coalition. Biography Early political career A long-time member of Lega Lombarda and Leg ...
to
Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea. Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of and a ...
's
Massimiliano Fedriga Massimiliano Fedriga (born 2 July 1980) is an Italian Northern League politician. He is the president of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia autonomous region. Biography Born in Verona on 2 July 1980 and raised in Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city a ...
, who would become president of the
Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces The Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, originally named "Conference of Presidents of Regions and Autonomous Provinces", is a political body of coordination between the regions of Italy and, chiefly, their presidents. Established in P ...
in 2021.


Draghi national unity government

In January 2021, Conte's second government fell after losing support from
Matteo Renzi Matteo Renzi (; born 11 January 1975) is an Italian politician who served as prime minister of Italy from 2014 to 2016. He has been a senator for Florence since 2018. Renzi has served as the leader of Italia Viva (IV) since 2019, having bee ...
's
Italia Viva Italia Viva (, IV) is a Liberalism, liberal list of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy founded in September 2019. The party is led by Matteo Renzi, a former Prime Minister of Italy and former secretary of the Democratic Party ( ...
party. Subsequently, President
Sergio Mattarella Sergio Mattarella (; born 23 July 1941) is an Italian politician and jurist who has served as the president of Italy since 2015. He is the longest-serving president in the history of the Italian Republic. Since Giorgio Napolitano's death in 20 ...
appointed
Mario Draghi Mario Draghi (; born 3 September 1947) is an Italian politician, economist, academic, banker, statesman, and civil servant, who served as the prime minister of Italy from 13 February 2021 to 22 October 2022. Prior to his appointment as prime mi ...
to form a
cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
, which won support from the League, the M5S, the PD and FI. The League entered the new government with three high-profile ministers from the party's "centrist" wing: Giorgetti, the architect of the party's pro-Europeanist turn and close friend of Draghi, as minister of Economic Development,
Massimo Garavaglia Massimo Garavaglia (born 8 April 1968) is an Italian politician who served as Minister of Tourism in the Draghi Cabinet. Biography Born in Cuggiono in the Province of Milan and resident in Marcallo con Casone, Massimo Garavaglia graduated in E ...
as
minister of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture. The position exists in many countries under several names: *Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania) *Ministry of Touri ...
and Erika Stefani as minister for Disabilities. The party's support for Draghi's government stood in contrast to its Eurosceptic stances. In June 2021, Salvini proposed a federation with FI and other centre-right parties supporting Draghi (thus excluding FdI), which has so far went nowhere, as well as a campaign for six referendums on justice along with the liberal Radical Party. In February 2022 five of the six referendums were approved by Italy's
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...
, opening the way for a popular vote by June. In the run-up of the
2022 Italian local elections The 2022 Italian local elections were held in various Italian local communities on 12 June 2022, with a run-off round on 26 June. Local elections in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol were held on 15 May, with a second ballot on 29 May, while local e ...
, the party launched a new organisation named Italy First () in southern Italy. The League will run under the "Italy First" banner in most southern cities and in the
2022 Sicilian regional election The 2022 Sicilian regional election for the renewal of the Sicilian Regional Assembly and the election of the List of Presidents of Sicily, President of Sicily were held on 25 September, 2022. Renato Schifani, candidate of the centre-right coalit ...
. According to Calderoli, who registered the new symbol on Salvini's behalf, Italy First could eventually become a new political party, possibly including also FI and other centrist parties. However, as the notion of replacing the League's symbol also in northern Italy was criticised by several party members, especially in Veneto, Calderoli ruled it out.


2022 general election and Meloni government

In July 2022, the M5S did not participate in a Senate's confidence vote on a government bill. Prime Minister Draghi offered his resignation, which was rejected by President Mattarella. After a few days, Draghi sought a confidence vote again to secure the government majority supporting his cabinet, while rejecting the proposal put forward by Lega and FI of a new government without the M5S. In that occasion, the League, despite calls from its regional presidents to do otherwise, as well as the M5S, FI and FdI, did not participate in the vote. Consequently, Draghi tendered his final resignation to President Mattarella, who dissolved the houses of Parliament, leading to a snap election. In the
2022 general election The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2022. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2022 United Nations Security Council election * 2022 national electoral calendar * 2022 loca ...
, the League, which was part of the winning centre-right coalition, won 8.8% of the vote, compared to 26.0% gained by the
Brothers of Italy Brothers of Italy (, FdI) is a National conservatism, national-conservative and Right-wing populism, right-wing populist political party in Italy, that is currently the country's ruling party. After becoming the largest party in the 2022 Ita ...
(FdI) and 8.1% by FI. As a result,
Giorgia Meloni Giorgia Meloni (; born 15 January 1977) is an Italian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Italy since 2022. She is the first woman to hold the office. A member of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), Chamber of Deputies since 2006, s ...
, leader of FdI, accepted the task of forming a new government and announced the
Meloni government The Meloni government is the 68th and current government of the Italian Republic, the first headed by Giorgia Meloni, leader of Brothers of Italy, who is also the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Italy. The government was swor ...
, which assumed official functions after each ministers were sworn in on 22 October. The League joined the new government with five ministers: Giorgetti minister of Economy and Finance, Salvini deputy prime minister and minister of Infrastructure and Transport,
Giuseppe Valditara Giuseppe Valditara (born 12 January 1961) is an Italian academic and politician. He has been the Italian Minister of Education and Merit in the Meloni Cabinet from 22 october 2022. Biography Valditara was full professor of private and public Rom ...
(a former aide to
Gianfranco Miglio Gianfranco Miglio (11 January 1918 – 10 August 2001) was an Italian jurist, political scientist, and politician. He was a founder of the Federalist Party. For thirty years, he presided over the political science faculty of Milan's Universit ...
and co-author of the party's liberal-conservative manifesto) minister of Education, Calderoli minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomies, and Alessandra Locatelli minister for Disabilities. Prior to that,
Lorenzo Fontana Lorenzo Fontana (born 10 April 1980) is an Italian politician and member of the Lega (political party), League (Lega), who is serving as President of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), President of the Chamber of Deputies since 2022 President of t ...
, from the conservative wing of the League, had been elected President of the
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
.


Internal debates and 2023 Lombard regional election

In the wake of the disappointing result in the 2022 general election and the run-up to the
2023 Lombard regional election The 2023 Lombard regional election took place on 12 and 13 February 2023. The election took place concurrently with the 2023 Lazio regional election, as decided by the Italian government on 9 December 2022. According to the final results, Attili ...
, some leading members of the party's traditional wing, rooted in Padanian nationalism, formed ''Comitato Nord'' (, CN). The Committee was inspired by Umberto Bossi and, under the leadership of
Paolo Grimoldi Paolo is a masculine given name, the Italian form of the name Paul. It may refer to: People Art * Paolo Abbate (1884–1973), Italian-American sculptor * Paolo Alboni (1671–1734), Italian painter * Paolo Antonio Barbieri (1603–1649), Ital ...
, a former leader of Lega Lombarda, and Angelo Ciocca, a member of the European Parliament, it attracted more than one thousand members in a couple of months. The inaugural event of the Committee, held in early December, was attended by some 600 people, including former ministers Roberto Castelli and
Francesco Speroni Francesco Enrico Speroni (born 4 October 1946, in Busto Arsizio) is an Italian politician. Career Speroni has been flight engineer from 1970 to 1997, remaining on leave since 1989. A member of the Northern League, Speroni has been a Member of ...
. Contextually, provincial congresses were held in some of the party's strongholds: critics of Salvini affiliated with the CN narrowly won in
Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...
and
Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
, while the pro-Salvini wing retained
Varese Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 was 80,559. It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or exurban part ...
for a handful of votes and Roberto Marcato, a regional minister loyal to Zaia, was leading the challenge in Veneto. Also, four regional councillors affiliated with the CN formed a separate group in the
Regional Council of Lombardy The Regional Council of Lombardy () is the parliament, legislative assembly of Lombardy, Italy. It was first elected in 1970, when the Regions of Italy, ordinary regions were instituted, on the basis of the Constitution of Italy of 1948. Compos ...
and were subsequently ejected from the party. In the meantime, another group of dissidents, led by Gianni Fava, who lost to Salvini in the 2017 Lega Nord leadership election and never joined the new party, formed the "Lombard Autonomist Movement" and supported
Letizia Moratti Letizia Maria Moratti (née Brichetto Arnaboldi; born 26 November 1949) is an Italian businesswoman and politician. She was president of RAI (1994–1996), Minister of Education, University and Research (2001–2006), mayor of Milan (2006–201 ...
for president, along with the separatists of
Great North Great North (''Grande Nord'', GN) is a liberal, regionalist, federalist, and somewhat separatist political party based in Northern Italy. The party proposes federalism and liberal economics, aimed at reducing "the size of the state in order t ...
, in the regional election. In the election, held in February 2023,
Attilio Fontana Attilio Fontana (born 28 March 1952) is an Italian politician from Varese, Lombardy. He has served as President of Lombardy since 2018 leading a centre-right coalition. Biography Early political career A long-time member of Lega Lombarda and Leg ...
was re-elected president with 54.7% of the vote, 20pp more than his closest opponent (while Moratti was a distant third and would return to FI one year later), as well as improving the 2018's tally. While FdI became the region's largest party with 25.2%, the combined score of the Lombard League and Fontana's personal list was 22.7%. Also the CN, whose members might have voted Fontana's list in protest according to some sources, rejoiced, while being worried by FdI's largest party status. Contextually, the centre-right coalition won also in the
2023 Lazio regional election The 2023 Lazio regional election took place on 12 and 13 February 2023. It was held concurrently with the 2023 Lombard regional election, as decided by the Italian government on 9 December 2022. On 12 October 2022, the president of Lazio Nicola Z ...
, in which the League obtained 8.5% of the vote. In June 2023, the LV held its congress: Marcato retired from the race when Franco Manzato emerged as an alternative opposition candidate. At the congress, outgoing federal commissioner Alberto Stefani, a loyalist of Salvini, was thus elected secretary with 64.3% of the vote against Manzato's 35.7%, possibly with Zaia's silent support. The congress' result stabilised the regional party, but did not silence internal critics and several minor figures left the party, some of them joining FI, which had been led in Veneto by former LV leader
Flavio Tosi Flavio Tosi (born 18 June 1969) is an Italian politician who served as the mayor of Verona from 2007 to 2017. He has been a long-time member of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord. Political career Having joined Liga Veneta (LV) in 1991, Tosi was elected ...
since June 2022. and had become that party's regional coordinator in March 2023, In Lombardy, Castelli started his own People's Party of the North in November.


2024 European Parliament election

In the run-up of the
2024 European Parliament election The 2024 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 6 and 9 June 2024. It was the tenth Elections to the European Parliament, parliamentary election since the 1979 European Parliament election, first direct electio ...
, Salvini invited
Marine Le Pen Marion Anne Perrine "Marine" Le Pen (; born 5 August 1968) is a French lawyer and politician of the far-right National Rally, National Rally party (RN). She served as the party's president from 2011 to 2021, and ran for the French presidency in ...
to the party's traditional rally in
Pontida Pontida (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northwest of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,112 and an are ...
in September 2023 and organised a conference of the
Identity and Democracy Party Patriots.eu (), formerly known as the Identity and Democracy Party (ID or ID Party) and the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom (MENF), is a nationalist, right-wing populist and Eurosceptic European political party founded in 2014. It ...
in
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
in December 2023. The party also tried to forge a big-tent, by wooing popular mayors and regional presidents like Zaia, maximizing the right-wing vote by fielding general Roberto Vannacci and broadening toward the political centre by welcoming longtime centrist MEP
Aldo Patriciello Aldo Patriciello (born 27 September 1957 in Venafro) is an Italian politician. A former Vice President of Molise, a region in southern Italy, he has been a member of the European Parliament since 8 May 2006, when he took the place of Lorenzo Cesa ...
, the Union of the Centre and the
Italian Liberal Party The Italian Liberal Party (, PLI) was a liberal political party in Italy. The PLI, which was heir to the liberal currents of both the Historical Right and the Historical Left, was a minor party after World War II, but also a frequent junio ...
. In the end, neither Fedriga nor Zaia chose to stand, while Vannacci accepted to be a candidate, despite strong reservations by virtually all senior members of the party. In the meantime, a group of former LN members, led by Tosi, formed the "Forza Nord" coalition within FI: these included
Alessandro Sorte Alessandro is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Alexander. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Alessandro * Alessandro Allori (1535–1607), Italian portrait painter * Alessandro Baricco ...
(leader of FI in Lombardy),
Roberto Cota Roberto Cota (born 13 July 1968 in Novara) is an Italian politician, President of Piedmont from 2010 to 2014. After a degree in law, Cota joined the party in 1990. In 2000 he was elected to the Regional Council of Piedmont and was President ...
(former president of Piedmont),
Marco Reguzzoni Marco Giovanni Reguzzoni (born 30 May 1971) is an Italian politician and entrepreneur. He was President of Varese Province from 2002 to 2008. He was a member of the Italian Parliament as congressman and president of the Northern League group s ...
(former floor leader of the LN in the Chamber of Deputies),
Massimiliano Bastoni Massimiliano is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: * Massimiliano Alajmo (born 1974), Italian chef *Massimiliano Allegri (born 1967), Italian footballer and manager * Massimiliano Ammendola (born 1990), Italian f ...
(former member of LN's right-wing, as well as lately of the CN),
Matteo Gazzini Matteo Gazzini (born 9 July 1985) is an Italian politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament for Lega (political party), Lega and Forza Italia (2013), Forza Italia from 2022 to 2024. In December 2023, he left Lega per Salvini Prem ...
(outgoing MEP and leader of FI in South Tyrol) and
Stefania Zambelli Stefania Zambelli (born 6 April 1971 in Salò) is an Italian politician who was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 p ...
(outgoing MEP). Furthermore, Grimoldi revealed that Bossi was going to vote for FI too. The party's share of the vote was 9.0%, with Vannacci (500,000+ preference votes) being one of the most voted candidates in the election. The party improved its tally in the South, also thanks to candidates like Patriciello and
Raffaele Stancanelli Raffaele Stancanelli (born 30 June 1950) is an Italian politician. Biography After graduating in Law at the University of Catania, Stancanelli began his political career with the Italian Social Movement, being municipal councilor in Regalbuto ...
, but suffered in its traditional northern strongholds, where the party fared even worse than in the 2022 general election. Contextually, in the 2024 Piedmontese regional election the party won a mere 9.4% of the vote, while being part of the winning centre-right coalition led by incumbent president
Alberto Cirio Alberto Cirio (born 6 December 1972) is an Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Italy from 2014 to 2019. He is a member of the centre-right Forza Italia. Biography Cirio studied law at the University of Turin. Ciri ...
. Right after, long-time internal critic Grimoldi was ejected from the party. In October Grimoldi launched the
Pact for the North Pact, The Pact or PACT may refer to: Entertainment * ''The Pact'' (novel), by Jodi Picoult, 1998 * ''The Pact'' (2002 film), adaptation of Picoult's '' The Pact'' * ''The Pact'' (2003 film), Australian film * ''The Pact'' (2006 film), Americ ...
, which was joined by Roberto Castelli, Roberto Bernardelli (
Padanian Union The Padanian Union (''Unione Padana'', UP) is a Padanian nationalism, Padanist and separatism, separatist list of political parties in Italy, political party active in Lombardy, Italy. The party emerged in November 2011 by the merger of Lega Padana ...
Great North Great North (''Grande Nord'', GN) is a liberal, regionalist, federalist, and somewhat separatist political party based in Northern Italy. The party proposes federalism and liberal economics, aimed at reducing "the size of the state in order t ...
),
Mario Borghezio Mario Borghezio (; born 3 December 1947) is an Italian politician who represented Lega Nord in the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), Chamber of Deputies from 1992 to 2001, and as a Member of the European Parliament from 2001 to 2019. Early political ...
,
Giuseppe Leoni Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. The feminine form of the name is Giuseppa or Giuseppina. People with the given name include: :''Note: ...
,
Giancarlo Pagliarini Giancarlo Pagliarini (born 23 April 1942) is an Italian politician. Born in Milan, he was later elected to the Italian Senate for Lega Nord in 1992 and re-elected in 1994, then elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1996 and in 2001. He was Minis ...
and other dissidents of Lega Nord and Lega, while Bossi was appointed honorary president.


Lombard and federal congresses

In December 2024
Massimiliano Romeo Massimiliano Romeo (born 22 January 1971) is an Italian politician. He is the group leader of Lega Nord in the Italian Senate. He is also known to the Italian masses for being the older brother of Filippo (born 1975) otherwise known infamously a ...
was elected secretary of Lega Lombarda unopposed, after that
Luca Toccalini Luca Toccalini (born 18 May 1990) is an Italian politician of Lega. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies. In 2019, he was elected leader of Lega Giovani. From 2015 to 2019, he was the leader of Lega Giovani in Lombardy ...
, Salvini's candidate, had withdrawn from the race due to lack of support. In his victory speech, Romeo reclaimed the party's northern identity, while president of Lombardy Fontana spoke of "free Padania". In April 2025 the party held its long-awaited federal congress in Florence. Salvini was re-elected secretary unopposed. Of the 22 elective members of the federal council, the party's governing board, six (plus one representing Lazio) were Lombards, four Venetians, four from other northern regions, three from central Italy and four from the South. During the congress, which was presided over by minister Giorgetti, Vannacci formally became a member of the party. International speakers included
Elon Musk Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...
. In May Salvini appointed four deputy secretaries: Alberto Stefani, also leader of the party in Veneto, and
Claudio Durigon Claudio Durigon (born 10 September 1971) is an Italian politician serving as a member of the Senate since 2022. From 2018 to 2022, he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legisl ...
, who were confirmed in their roles, as well as Silvia Sardone and Roberto Vannacci, two new entries.


Ideology, platform, factions, alliances

Internationally, the League is usually described as a
right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
or
far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
party. Its robust anti-immigration stance, Eurosceptic outlook, and populist rhetoric are frequently mentioned as central factors in this categorisation. However, as pointed out by Miles Johnson of the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'', most Italian media endorse the party's description as
centre-right Centre-right politics is the set of right-wing politics, right-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. It is commonly associated with conservatism, Christian democracy, liberal conservatism, and conservative liberalis ...
. Moreover, according to Antonio Polito, columnist for the ''
Corriere della Sera (; ) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average circulation of 246,278 copies in May 2023. First published on 5 March 1876, is one of Italy's oldest newspapers and is Italy's most read newspaper. Its masthead has remain ...
'' and a former centre-left politician, the League is "at least half
centrist Centrism is the range of political ideologies that exist between left-wing politics and right-wing politics on the left–right political spectrum. It is associated with moderate politics, including people who strongly support moderate policie ...
, surely it is entirely centrist in
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
and
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
, both as electorate and political culture of its governors". Differently from
Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini (; born 9 March 1973) is an Italian politician who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport since 2022. He has been List of F ...
, most leading members, such as ministers like
Giancarlo Giorgetti Giancarlo Giorgetti (; born 16 December 1966) is an Italian politician and prominent member of the League, of which he became deputy secretary in 2016. Since October 2022, Giorgetti has served as Minister of Economy and Finance in the governme ...
and regional presidents like
Luca Zaia Luca Zaia (born 27 March 1968) is an Italian politician, who has been President of Veneto since 2010, and a historical member of Lega Nord, other than being the most Progressivism in the United States, progressive member of his own party. Suppor ...
and
Massimiliano Fedriga Massimiliano Fedriga (born 2 July 1980) is an Italian Northern League politician. He is the president of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia autonomous region. Biography Born in Verona on 2 July 1980 and raised in Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city a ...
, are frequently described as "centrist", "moderate" and pro-Europeanist, appealing to "centrist" voters and parties. The "far-right" label is rejected altogether by the party, including by Salvini himself. Of the leader's long-time three deputy secretaries, Giorgetti represented the liberal-centrist wing,
Lorenzo Fontana Lorenzo Fontana (born 10 April 1980) is an Italian politician and member of the Lega (political party), League (Lega), who is serving as President of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), President of the Chamber of Deputies since 2022 President of t ...
the
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, traditionalist and social-conservative one, and
Andrea Crippa Andrea Crippa (born 10 May 1986) is an Italian politician of Lega. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral ...
the populist to right-wing populist one. However, fault lines are more complicate: Giorgetti is also a devout Catholic, Fontana has voiced concerns over the party's European alliances, while Crippa is outspokenly in favour of
abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
and
euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...
. While continuing to support
autonomism Autonomism or ''autonomismo'', also known as autonomist Marxism or autonomous Marxism, is an anti-capitalist social movement and Marxist-based theoretical current that first emerged in Italy in the 1960s from workerism (). Later, post-Marxist ...
, regionalism and
federalism Federalism is a mode of government that combines a general level of government (a central or federal government) with a regional level of sub-unit governments (e.g., provinces, State (sub-national), states, Canton (administrative division), ca ...
, under Salvini the League has gradually but decidedly set aside
Padanian nationalism Padanian nationalism is an ideology and a regionalist movement demanding more autonomy, or even independence from Italy, for Padania, a region encompassing Northern and, to some extent, part of central Italy. Lega Nord, a federation of regiona ...
and
separatism Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, regional, governmental, or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seekin ...
, which were long pursued by
Lega Nord Lega Nord (LN; ), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing politics, right-wing, federalism, federalist, populism, populist and conservatism, conservative list of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy. In the run-up to the 201 ...
. Through "
sovereigntism Sovereigntism, sovereignism or souverainism (from , , meaning "the ideology of sovereignty") is the notion of having control over one's conditions of existence, whether at the level of the self, social group, region, nation or globe. Typically ...
", the party has also been making inroads in
southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
. It is actually a matter of debate whether the League has embraced
Italian nationalism Italian nationalism () is a movement which believes that the Italians are a nation with a single homogeneous identity, and therefrom seeks to promote the cultural unity of Italy as a country. From an Italian nationalist perspective, Italianness i ...
and abandoned regionalism, or whether it combines nationalism and regionalism, similarly to the
Ticino League The Ticino League () is a regionalist, national-conservative political party in Switzerland active in the canton of Ticino. The party was founded in 1991 by entrepreneur Giuliano Bignasca and journalist Flavio Maspoli. After some public camp ...
in
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. According do Daniele Albertazzi, Arianna Giovannini and Antonella Seddone, "regionalism has been replaced by an empty form of nativist nationalism, which fails to address socio-economic issues related to the North–South divide", while "populism remains central to the party's strategic communication, but the EU has taken Rome's place as the people's 'enemy'". However, locally, the regional parties forming the League continue to be supportive of regional identities, such as
Venetian nationalism Venetian nationalism (also Venetism, from the Venetian/Italian name, ''venetismo'') is a nationalist, but primarily regionalist, political movement active mostly in Veneto, Italy, as well as in other parts of the former Republic of Venice. ...
in Veneto and Lombard nationalism in Lombardy. The League supports the implementation of article 116 of the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
, the so-called "differentiated" or "asymmetrical" regionalism, i.e. the attribution of "particular forms and conditions of autonomy" also to ordinary-statute regions (with the consequent possibility for some regions to have further powers than others, but still less than the five special-statute regions). The League is formally part of the
centre-right coalition The centre-right coalition () is a political alliance of political parties in Italy active under several forms and names since 1994, when Silvio Berlusconi entered politics and formed the party. It has mostly competed with the centre-left c ...
, along with
Forza Italia (FI; ) was a centre-right liberal-conservative political party in Italy, with Christian democratic,Chiara Moroni, , Carocci, Rome 2008 liberalOreste Massari, ''I partiti politici nelle democrazie contempoiranee'', Laterza, Rome-Bari 2004 (esp ...
(FI) and the
Brothers of Italy Brothers of Italy (, FdI) is a National conservatism, national-conservative and Right-wing populism, right-wing populist political party in Italy, that is currently the country's ruling party. After becoming the largest party in the 2022 Ita ...
(FdI); however, since 2018, the party has governed both with the populist
Five Star Movement The Five Star Movement ( , M5S) is a political party in Italy, led by Giuseppe Conte. It was launched on 4 October 2009 by Beppe Grillo, a political activist and comedian, and Gianroberto Casaleggio, a web strategist. The party is primarily d ...
(M5S) and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD). In early 2022, two leading Democrats, minister
Dario Franceschini Dario Franceschini (; born 19 October 1958) is an Italian lawyer, writer, and politician, member of the Democratic Party (PD), of which he briefly became leader in 2009. Franceschini served as Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and ...
and Goffredo Bettini, hinted that the League could re-affirm a "centrist" position and could again form a coalition government with the PD after the next general election, respectively. Anyway, the PD's secretary
Enrico Letta Enrico Letta (; born 20 August 1966) is an Italian politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy The prime minister of Italy, officially the president of the Council of Ministers (), is the head of government of the Italy, Italian Republ ...
ruled it out. In most regions the League forms coalitions with FdI and FI, with some peculiarities. In
Aosta Valley The Aosta Valley ( ; ; ; or ), officially the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, is a mountainous Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Fr ...
it formed a short-lived left-right coalition in 2018. In
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
it has teamed up with the
South Tyrolean People's Party The South Tyrolean People's Party (, SVP) is a regionalism (politics), regionalist and mostly Christian democracy, Christian-democratic list of political parties in South Tyrol, political party in South Tyrol, an Autonomous administrative divisio ...
(SVP) since 2018. In
Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...
it is also in alliance with the similarly-regionalist
Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party The Trentino Tyrolean Autonomist Party (, PATT) is a regionalist, autonomist, Christian-democratic and centrist political party in Trentino, Italy. The PATT, heir of the Trentino Tyrolean People's Party, is the unofficial counterpart of the ...
(PATT). In
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
it has close ties with the
Sardinian Action Party The Sardinian Action Party (, , PSd'Az or PSdA) is a Sardinian nationalism, Sardinian nationalist, Regionalism (politics), regionalist and Separatism, separatist list of political parties in Sardinia, political party in Sardinia founded by Sardin ...
(PSd'Az), whose leader and former
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
of the region Christian Solinas was often counted among the League's governors, so that, since 2018, there has been a "League–Salvini Premier–Sardinian Action Party" joint parliamentary group in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. Finally, in
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
the League has formed a short-lived federation with the
Movement for Autonomy Movement may refer to: Generic uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Movement (sign language), a hand movement when signing * Motion, commonly referred to as movement * Movement (music), a division of a larger ...
. Countrywide, the party has federative pacts with the Union of the Centre and the
Italian Liberal Party The Italian Liberal Party (, PLI) was a liberal political party in Italy. The PLI, which was heir to the liberal currents of both the Historical Right and the Historical Left, was a minor party after World War II, but also a frequent junio ...
. The party's 2022 political manifesto, penned by Alessandro Amadori and
Giuseppe Valditara Giuseppe Valditara (born 12 January 1961) is an Italian academic and politician. He has been the Italian Minister of Education and Merit in the Meloni Cabinet from 22 october 2022. Biography Valditara was full professor of private and public Rom ...
in 2022, was described by the ''
Corriere della Sera (; ) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average circulation of 246,278 copies in May 2023. First published on 5 March 1876, is one of Italy's oldest newspapers and is Italy's most read newspaper. Its masthead has remain ...
'' as
liberal-conservative Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by libe ...
. More specifically, its authors designed a "country that should be liberal in its economy and society, wisely conservative on values, profoundly republican in its collective culture". In home affairs, the League strongly opposes
illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
, especially migratory flows from the sea. It is highly critical of
non-governmental organisation A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
s transporting migrants to European cross-border countries, as they believe them to be complicit in "human trafficking". Within Italy's borders, the League is sceptical of asylum requests and related reception centers and hopes for the deportation of irregular immigrants. It has tried to regulate some of the immigration issues through the so-called "security decrees". In
foreign policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...
, the party is
Atlanticist Atlanticism, also known as Transatlanticism or North Atlanticism, is the ideology which advocates a close alliance between nations in Northern America (the United States and Canada) and in Europe on political, economic, and defense issues. The te ...
and pro-
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
. It has also supported friendlier ties with
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
; before the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
, it has long also opposed sanctions. In 2019, allegations that the party accepted Russian funding were discussed in Italy and dubbed "Russiagate", before being completely dismissed. In September 2022, the
Center for Strategic and International Studies The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. From its founding in 1962 until 1987, it was an affiliate of Georgetown University, initially named the Center for Strategic and Inte ...
wrote that the party was still "seen as Russia-friendly". Until 2018, the League expressed a strong opposition to the
Euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...
currency; in the 2018 general election, Eurosceptic professors Alberto Bagnai and Claudio Borghi were elected in Parliament for the party. Following President
Sergio Mattarella Sergio Mattarella (; born 23 July 1941) is an Italian politician and jurist who has served as the president of Italy since 2015. He is the longest-serving president in the history of the Italian Republic. Since Giorgio Napolitano's death in 20 ...
's rejection of the appointment of
Paolo Savona Paolo Savona (born 6 October 1936) is an Italian economist, professor,CV Paolo Savona
(who had expressed himself on a "plan B" for Italy's exit from the Eurozone) as minister of the Economy in
Giuseppe Conte Giuseppe Conte (; born 8 August 1964) is an Italian jurist, academic, and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy, prime minister of Italy from June 2018 to February 2021. He has been the president of the Five Star Movement (M5S) sin ...
's first government, the League reviewed its opposition to the single currency. In
economic policy ''Economic Policy'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Oxford University Press, Oxford Academic on behalf of the Centre for Economic Policy Research, the Center for Economic Studies (University of Munich), and the Paris Scho ...
, the League has a mixed record. Lega Nord started as
libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
, under the influx of
Giancarlo Pagliarini Giancarlo Pagliarini (born 23 April 1942) is an Italian politician. Born in Milan, he was later elected to the Italian Senate for Lega Nord in 1992 and re-elected in 1994, then elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1996 and in 2001. He was Minis ...
, to become more economically populist. The current party's platform includes the reduction of the tax burden and the implementation of a
flat income tax A flat tax (short for flat-rate tax) is a tax with a single rate on the taxable amount, after accounting for any deductions or exemptions from the tax base. It is not necessarily a fully proportional tax. Implementations are often progressi ...
at 15%, while opposing limits to cash payments. As a result, according to some sources, the party is distinctly "
neo-liberal Neoliberalism is a political and economic ideology that advocates for free-market capitalism, which became dominant in policy-making from the late 20th century onward. The term has multiple, competing definitions, and is most often used pej ...
", while other observers have contested any such characterisation and the League would be torn between "
economic liberalism Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberalism ...
" and "
Keynesian economics Keynesian economics ( ; sometimes Keynesianism, named after British economist John Maynard Keynes) are the various macroeconomics, macroeconomic theories and Economic model, models of how aggregate demand (total spending in the economy) strongl ...
". Giorgetti is usually considered a liberal, while Bagnai identifies as "
post-Keynesian Post-Keynesian economics is a school of economic thought with its origins in '' The General Theory'' of John Maynard Keynes, with subsequent development influenced to a large degree by Michał Kalecki, Joan Robinson, Nicholas Kaldor, Sidney ...
" and "
left-wing populist Left-wing populism, also called social populism, is a Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideology that combines left-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric often includes elements of anti-elitism, opposition to the E ...
" and factions are somewhat
anti-globalist The anti-globalization movement, or counter-globalization movement, is a social movement critical of economic globalization. The movement is also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, alter-globalization movement, anti-globalist m ...
. On
welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...
, the League is one of the major critics of the increase in the retirement age envisaged by Elsa Fornero's 2011 pension reform and during Conte's first government got the approval of the so-called "Quota 100" (retirement with 62 years of age and 38 of contributions). Furthermore, the party opposes the citizens' income and regrets having voted for it in 2018. On
social issue A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...
s, the League generally holds
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
positions, with some exceptions. For instance, the party has been a long proponent of the
decriminalization of sex work The decriminalization of sex work is the removal of criminal penalties for sex work (specifically, prostitution). Sex work, the consensual provision of sexual services for money or goods, is criminalized in most countries. Decriminalization is ...
. Additionally, a majority of the party's regional councillors in Veneto was supportive of a bill that would have regulated
assisted suicide Assisted suicide, sometimes restricted to the context of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is the process by which a person, with the help of others, takes actions to end their life. Once it is determined that the person's situation qualifie ...
for terminally ill patients, under particular conditions.


Political communication

Since 2014, the political communication and propaganda of Salvini and the League have been entrusted to an external communication company, named ''Sistema Intranet'', owned by Luca Morisi and Andrea Paganella. This company has used a software known as "the Beast" which, through a series of algorithms (based on monitoring the sentiments of the network), according to many commentators, has contributed to Salvini's success on social networks. According to the various reconstructions it would be through this software that political messages, slogans, successful hashtags and scenes from Salvini's daily life would be selected. The communication strategy of the Beast was analysed in a study by the Department of Political Sciences of the
University of Padua The University of Padua (, UNIPD) is an Italian public research university in Padua, Italy. It was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from the University of Bologna, who previously settled in Vicenza; thus, it is the second-oldest ...
, according to which Salvini "opened the page in 2010 ... with a strategy that is still considered effective today ... able to be in tune with the prevailing moods of a substantial part of users on the network". Morisi's ability consists in "positioning himself on the right and majority side of public opinion" and being "able to analyse in real time the orientation of comments and reactions to a post and suggesting which topics to focus on in the next post". Morisi also invented the nickname "the Captain", with which Salvini is called by his supporters. In September 2021 Morisi resigned for "personal and family problems" and, right after, he was investigated following an accusation of cocaine transfer by two Romanian boys, a case that was archived in November. Also Paganella is no longer involved since he was elected senator in the
2022 general election The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2022. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2022 United Nations Security Council election * 2022 national electoral calendar * 2022 loca ...
.


Regional and local government

The League participates in 14 out of 21 sub-national governments (Italy has 20 regions, one of which,
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol ( ; ; ), often known in English as Trentino-South Tyrol or by its shorter Italian name Trentino-Alto Adige, is an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy, located in the ...
, is composed of two autonomous provinces with dinstict autonony and a seat each in the
Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces The Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, originally named "Conference of Presidents of Regions and Autonomous Provinces", is a political body of coordination between the regions of Italy and, chiefly, their presidents. Established in P ...
:
Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...
and
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
). The following is a list of the most relevant local institutions led by party members. ;Presidents of Regions *
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
(9,965,046 inhabitants):
Attilio Fontana Attilio Fontana (born 28 March 1952) is an Italian politician from Varese, Lombardy. He has served as President of Lombardy since 2018 leading a centre-right coalition. Biography Early political career A long-time member of Lega Lombarda and Leg ...
*
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
(4,854,633 inhabitants):
Luca Zaia Luca Zaia (born 27 March 1968) is an Italian politician, who has been President of Veneto since 2010, and a historical member of Lega Nord, other than being the most Progressivism in the United States, progressive member of his own party. Suppor ...
*
Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea. Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of and a ...
(1,197,295 inhabitants):
Massimiliano Fedriga Massimiliano Fedriga (born 2 July 1980) is an Italian Northern League politician. He is the president of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia autonomous region. Biography Born in Verona on 2 July 1980 and raised in Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city a ...
;Presidents of Autonomous Provinces *
Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...
(542,58 inhabitants):
Maurizio Fugatti Maurizio Fugatti (born 7 April 1972) is an Italian politician from the Lega (political party), League party. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), Chamber of Deputies from 2006 to 2013 and again from 2018 to 2019. He has been pre ...
(also President of
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol ( ; ; ), often known in English as Trentino-South Tyrol or by its shorter Italian name Trentino-Alto Adige, is an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy, located in the ...
, a rotational role). ;Presidents of Provinces *
Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
(Veneto, 927,108 inhabitants):
Flavio Massimo Pasini ''Flavio, re de' Longobardi'' ("Flavio, King of the Lombards", HWV 16) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. The Italian-language libretto was by Nicola Francesco Haym, after Matteo Noris's ''Flavio Cuniberto''. It was Hand ...
*
Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...
(Veneto, 876,755 inhabitants): Stefano Marcon * Monza and Brianza (Lombardy, 870,112 inhabitants): Luca Santambrogio *
Pavia Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was a major polit ...
(Lombardy, 534,691 inhabitants): Giovanni Palli *
Pescara Pescara (; ; ) is the capital city of the province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo Regions of Italy, region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 118,657 (January 1, 2023) residents (and approximately 350,000 including the surround ...
(
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...
, 313,346 inhabitants): Ottavio De Martinis *
Macerata Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza (ri ...
(
Marche Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...
, 305,249 inhabitants):
Sandro Parcaroli Sandro Parcaroli (born 28 November 1956) is an Italian entrepreneur and politician. Career Member of the right-wing party Lega Nord, he ran for Mayor of Macerata at the 2020 Italian local elections, supported by a centre-right coalition. He was ...
*
Rovigo Rovigo (, ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune in the region of Veneto, Northeast Italy, the capital of the province of Rovigo, eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Veni ...
(Veneto, 229,097 inhabitants): Enrico Ferrarese *
Rieti Rieti (; , Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina region. T ...
(
Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
, 155,503 inhabitants):
Roberta Cuneo Roberta is a feminine version of the given names Robert and Roberto. It is a Germanic name derived from the stems *hrod meaning "famous", "glorious", "godlike" and *berht meaning "bright", "shining", "light". People with the name * Roberta Achten ...
;Mayors of Municipalities over 50,000 inhabitants *
Ferrara Ferrara (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, capital of the province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main ...
(
Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...
, 131,091 inhabitants):
Alan Fabbri Alan Fabbri (born 4 January 1979) is an Italian politician. Fabbri is a member of the right-wing party Lega Nord and served as mayor of Bondeno Bondeno ( Bondenese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Ferrara, in the Italian reg ...
*
Novara Novara (; Novarese Lombard, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous ...
(
Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
, 101,727 inhabitants):
Alessandro Canelli Alessandro Canelli (born 9 June 1971 in Novara) is an Italian politician. He is a member of the right-wing populist party Lega Nord Lega Nord (LN; ), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing politics, right-wing, federalism, federalist, ...
*
Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...
(
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
, 89,828 inhabitants): Michele Conti *
Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...
(Veneto, 84,793 inhabitants): Mario Conte *
Sesto San Giovanni Sesto San Giovanni (; , ), locally referred to as just Sesto (), is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan, in the Italian region of Lombardy. It was awarded with the honorary title of ''città'' (city) by decree of 10 Apri ...
(Lombardy, 79,732 inhabitants): Roberto Di Stefano *
Cinisello Balsamo Cinisello Balsamo (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of about 75,200 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Milan, in the Italian region of Lombardy, about northeast of Milan city center. Cinisello Balsamo borders the following municipalitie ...
(Lombardy, 74,534 inhabitants): Giacomo Ghilardi *
Pavia Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was a major polit ...
(Lombardy, 71,159 inhabitants): Fabrizio Fracassi *
Massa Massa may refer to: Places Italy *Province of Massa and Carrara, province in the Tuscany region of Italy * Duchy of Massa and Carrara, controlled the towns of Massa di Carrara and Carrara * Roman Catholic Diocese of Massa Marittima-Piombi ...
(Tuscany, 66,423 inhabitants):
Francesco Persiani Francesco Persiani (born 29 November 1965) is an Italian politician. A member of Lega, he is the mayor of Massa since June 2018. In March 2023, he resigned after the city council passed a motion of no confidence but was re-elected in May 2023. ...
*
Potenza Potenza (, ; ; , Potentino dialect: ''Putenz'') is a ''comune'' in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata (former Lucania). Capital of the Province of Potenza and the Basilicata region, the city is the highest regional capital and one of ...
(
Basilicata Basilicata (, ; ), also known by its ancient name Lucania (, , ), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometr ...
, 64,786 inhabitants):
Mario Guarente Mario Guarente (born 2 December 1983) is an Italian politician. He has been mayor of Potenza from 2019 to 2024, having been elected with the right-wing populist party Lega in 2019 after a closely contested runoff. He was among the least popular ...
*
Vigevano Vigevano (; ) is a (municipality) in the province of Pavia, in the Italian region of Lombardy. A historic art town, it is also renowned for shoemaking and is one of the main centres of Lomellina, a rice-growing agricultural district. Vigevano ...
(Lombardy, 62,384 inhabitants): Andrea Ceffa *
Foligno Foligno (; Central Italian, Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennine Mountains, Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clit ...
(Umbria, 55,520 inhabitants):
Stefano Zuccarini Stefano is the Italian language, Italian form of the masculine given name Στέφανος (Stefanos, Stephen). The name is of Greek origin, Στέφανος, meaning a person who made a significant achievement and has been crowned. In Orthodox Ch ...
*
Gallarate Gallarate (; Lombard language, Lombard: ''Galaraa'') is a city and ''comune'' of Alto Milanese of Lombardy and of Milan metropolitan area, northern Italy, in the Province of Varese. It has a population of some 54,000 people. It is the junction ...
(Lombardy, 52,826 inhabitants): Andrea Cassani *
Montesilvano Montesilvano () is a city and ''comune'' of the province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Abruzzo is often called Mare-Monti (Sea-Mountain) region. The name Montesilvano is apparently derived from the Latin which means "woody hill" (" ...
(Abruzzo, 53,174 inhabitants): Ottavio De Martinis *
Civitavecchia Civitavecchia (, meaning "ancient town") is a city and major Port, sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea west-northwest of Rome. Its legal status is a ''comune'' (municipality) of Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Rome, Lazio. The harbour is formed by ...
(Lazio, 51,824 inhabitants): Ernesto Tedesco


Election results


Italian Parliament


European Parliament


Regional Councils


Leadership


Federal party

*Federal secretary:
Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini (; born 9 March 1973) is an Italian politician who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport since 2022. He has been List of F ...
(2020–present) **Deputy federal secretary:
Giancarlo Giorgetti Giancarlo Giorgetti (; born 16 December 1966) is an Italian politician and prominent member of the League, of which he became deputy secretary in 2016. Since October 2022, Giorgetti has served as Minister of Economy and Finance in the governme ...
(2020–2024),
Lorenzo Fontana Lorenzo Fontana (born 10 April 1980) is an Italian politician and member of the Lega (political party), League (Lega), who is serving as President of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), President of the Chamber of Deputies since 2022 President of t ...
(2020–2024),
Andrea Crippa Andrea Crippa (born 10 May 1986) is an Italian politician of Lega. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral ...
(2020–2025),
Claudio Durigon Claudio Durigon (born 10 September 1971) is an Italian politician serving as a member of the Senate since 2022. From 2018 to 2022, he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legisl ...
(2024–present), Alberto Stefani (2024–present), Silvia Sardone (2025–present), Roberto Vannacci (2025–present) *Organisational Secretary:
Roberto Calderoli Roberto Calderoli (born 18 April 1956) is an Italian politician and a member of the Senate of the Republic. He was a Minister without portfolio for Legislative Simplification in the Berlusconi IV Cabinet. He previously served as Minister without ...
(2020–2022),
Maurizio Bosatra Maurizio is an Italian masculine given name, derived from the Roman name Mauritius. Mauritius is a derivative of Maurus, meaning ''dark-skinned, Moorish''. List of people with the given name Maurizio Art and music * Maurizio Arcieri (born 1945), ...
(2022–present) *Federal Administrator: Giulio Centemero (2020–2023),
Alberto Di Rubba Alberto is the Romance version of the Latinized form (''Albertus'') of Germanic ''Albert''. It is used in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The diminutive forms are ''Albertito'' in Spain or ''Albertico'' in some parts of Latin America, Albertin ...
(2023–present) *Party Leader in the
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
:
Riccardo Molinari Riccardo Molinari (born 29 July 1983, Alessandria) is an Italian lawyer and politician of Lega serving as a member of the Chamber of Deputies. He was first elected in the 2018 general election, and was re-elected in 2022 The year b ...
(2020–present) *Party Leader in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
:
Massimiliano Romeo Massimiliano Romeo (born 22 January 1971) is an Italian politician. He is the group leader of Lega Nord in the Italian Senate. He is also known to the Italian masses for being the older brother of Filippo (born 1975) otherwise known infamously a ...
(2020–present) *Party Leader in the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
:
Marco Campomenosi Marco Campomenosi (born 2 September 1975 in Genoa) is an Italian politician who was elected as a member of the European Parliament in 2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID- ...
(2020–2024), Paolo Borchia (2024–present)


Major regional sections

Liga Veneta Liga Veneta (; ; abbr. LV), whose complete name is (), is a regionalist political party active in Veneto. The LV, whose ideology combines Venetian nationalism and support for fiscal federalism, was established in 1979 under the slogan "farthe ...
Lega Lombarda Lega Lombarda (; abbr. LL), whose complete name is (), is a regionalism (politics), regionalist List of political parties in Italy, political party active in Lombardy. Established in 1984, it was one of the founding "national" sections of Lega ...
Lega Piemonte


Symbols

League - Salvini premier.svg, Electoral logo LpSP_Political_Logo.png, Official logo


References


External links


Official website (1)Official website (2)Official website of Lega Nord
{{Italian political parties Political parties established in 2017 2017 establishments in Italy Federalist parties in Italy Conservative parties in Italy Italian leagues Right-wing populist parties Eurosceptic parties in Italy Right-wing parties in Europe Right-wing politics in Italy Member parties of the Identity and Democracy Party