Matteo Salvini has been confirmed as League secretary for the fourth time. He will serve for a four-year term, until 2030 .
This is the result of the vote at the party's extraordinary congress, which was held by secret ballot. Salvini received 465 votes in favor. His challenger, Massimo Garavaglia, received 146 votes .
The two contenders spoke this morning, and Matteo Salvini promised, if confirmed, that he will ask the Council of Ministers to stop economic and military aid to Kiev .
The first to speak was Garavaglia , his words: "Many ask me 'why did you run?' The answer was simple: the power of freedom. One principle has always guided me: always be supported by capable people, people better than you, so you learn. The best way to realize a dream is to wake up. We need to reverse the trend; to do that, we need to wake up. Polls are indicative, they're not the vote, but they do provide indications. We got 8.8% in the elections and haven't grown . I don't think a single measure in the budget law is enough. We've seen it, we've scrapped the budget, but nothing has changed. It's the dream, we need to reawaken the dream. We need to do it all together."
Again, referring to Vannacci: "We tried buying a player, and it didn't work. But a player is on the market, and if a better offer comes in, he leaves. If you pick from the youth academy, there's a strong attachment to the shirt. Well, we have to pick from the youth academy, and we have champions everyone envies us. If I were to win, I want these champions at my side, and in front of me: Zaia, Durigon, Giorgetti, and obviously Matteo Salvini . We have champions."
Salvini's response was harsh: "You don't help the League with interviews, books, controversy, or a Facebook post. Here, you help the League." The Deputy Prime Minister made yet another promise regarding the Fornero Law, his signature measure, which he had promised to dismantle back in the first Conte government: "We're preparing a budget law, and for me, the priority is to repeal the Fornero Law, , thus allowing those who have worked their whole lives to take three years of contributions and life, compared to the never-ending retirement age of the Fornero Law."
