2017 Lega Nord leadership election

The 2017 Lega Nord leadership election took place on 14 May 2017.[1]

2017 Lega Nord leadership election

← 2013 14 May 2017
 
Nominee Matteo Salvini Giovanni Fava
Popular vote 6,636 1,388
Percentage 82.7% 17.3%

Federal Secretary before election

Matteo Salvini

Elected Federal Secretary

Matteo Salvini

Background and race

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Under the leadership of Matteo Salvini, who was elected in the 2013 leadership election, the party embraced a very critical view of the European Union,[2] especially of the Euro, which he described a "crime against mankind".[3] Ahead of 2014 European Parliament election, Salvini started to cooperate with Marine Le Pen, leader of the French National Front, and Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom.[4][5][6] All this was criticised by LN founder Umberto Bossi, who re-called his left-wing roots,[7][8] and Mayor of Verona Flavio Tosi, who represented the party's centrist wing and defended the Euro.[9] In March 2015, after a long struggle with Luca Zaia and Salvini, Tosi was ejected from the party. In May 2015 Zaia was re-elected President of Veneto for a second term in the regional election with a landslide.

In the run-up of the 2017 leadership election Salvini was focused on becoming the leader of the centre-right[10][11] and, possibly, changing the LN's name by ditching "North".[12][13][14] Paolo Grimoldi, the regional secretary of Lega Nord for Lombardy, chose not to run (and Roberto Maroni, the President of Lombardy Region, maintained his neutrality),[15][16] but Giovanni Fava, Lombard minister of Agriculture in the old social-democratic tradition, announced his bid aiming at representing the federalist/autonomist/separatist wings of the party. Gianluca Pini, President of Lega Nord Romagna, supported Fava:[17] note that Fava's best results in this LN primary (over 40% but under 45%) are only in Romagna.

Giovanni Fava, who is anti-prohibition of drugs, pro-civil unions for same-sex couples, pro-Atlanticism, and anti-National Front ("[it] is one of the most centralist and conservative blocs in Europe, what has it to do with us?"), recalled an old LN activist saying "let's hurry up in making Padania, that I want to return voting the left" and added "this was the League and it has to be like this anew".[18][19][20][21][22][23] Salvini accused Fava to be "too friend of Berlusconi" and specially of "wanting to submit the LN to Forza Italia".

This is a closed primary where all ordinary and militant members with at least 12 months of membership are reserved for 31 December 2016[24] and they also have the right to sign in support of secretarial nominations, which they need a minimum of 1000 signatures to be able to apply. Each candidate must be registered for at least 10 years as ordinary and militant members of LN: the only candidates for the post of Federal Secretary are those of Matteo Salvini and Giovanni Fava, both of which exceed the minimum of 1000 signatures (precisely[25] 6925 for Salvini and 1025 for Fava). Umberto Bossi, the founder of LN, support Giovanni Fava and his plan of approach to Forza Italia and Silvio Berlusconi from which the LN has gradually gone away (in favor of Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy) during Salvini's leadership since the previous primary election of December 2013. On 14 May Salvini was re-elected secretary by a landslide.[26] His re-election was ratified by the party's federal congress on 21 May in Parma.[27]

Candidates

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Portrait Name Most recent position Refs
  Matteo Salvini
(1973– )
Federal Secretary of Lega Nord
(2013–incumbent)

Other positions
[28][29]
  Giovanni Fava
(1968– )
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
(2006–2018)

Other positions
[30][31]

Primary election

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Candidate Votes %
Matteo Salvini 6,636 82.70%
Giovanni Fava 1,388 17.30%
Total 8,024 100.0
Popular vote
Salvini
82.70%
Fava
17.30%

Results by regions

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Region Salvini Fava
Aosta Valley 100.0 0.0
Emilia-Romagna 68.0 33.0
Friuli-Venezia Giulia 87.0 13.0
Liguria 95.0 5.0
Lombardy 78.0 22.0
Marche 83.0 17.0
Piedmont 87.0 13.0
Tuscany 83.0 17.0
Trentino Alto-Adige 75.0 25.0
Umbria 95.0 5.0
Veneto 91.0 9.0

References

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  1. ^ Le primarie e il congresso della Lega
  2. ^ "Matteo Salvini: "Basta essere succubi dell'Unione Europea e di Roma" Mattinonline". Mattinonline.ch. 2013-12-16. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
  3. ^ "Lega, Salvini contro euro: 'Crimine contro l'umanità'". ANSA.it. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Europa, Marine Le Pen preferisce Salvini e la Lega Nord a Beppe Grillo". Il Sole 24 ORE. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Salvini: "Al congresso della Lega Marine Le Pen e Wilders" | L'Indipendenza Nuova". Lindipendenza.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-18. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
  6. ^ "askanews". Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  7. ^ di LAVINIA RIVARA (3 April 2014). "Umberto Bossi: "Il blitz del Ros? Colpa dei Servizi, la gente si incazza"". Repubblica.it. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Bossi: con Le Pen alleanza transitoria. Boso: la Lega non è di destra | L'Indipendenza Nuova". Lindipendenza.com. 2014-05-29. Archived from the original on 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
  9. ^ "Tosi: non si può uscire dall'euro. L'Italia sarebbe preda di speculazioni". Il Sole 24 ORE. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  10. ^ Salvini: "Io candidato premier? Se chiedono ci sono. Col no si va a votare"
  11. ^ Matteo Salvini a Firenze: "Pronto a candidarmi come premier"
  12. ^ Lega, un congresso per togliere la parola Nord
  13. ^ Salvini vuole togliere il "Nord" al nome della Lega
  14. ^ "Lega Nord, il futuro senza "Nord": cambia il nome". Archived from the original on 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
  15. ^ Lega, Salvini convoca il congresso e cerca il plebiscito
  16. ^ La Lega, il congresso-lampo e la fronda anti Salvini nel nome della Padania
  17. ^ Congresso Lega Nord, Pini contro Salvini: «Vedo tanti militanti scarichi»
  18. ^ Fava: “Sfido Salvini perché la Lega non perda le sue radici. Voglio un congresso vero”
  19. ^ Lega, spunta l'anti-Salvini. Gianni Fava (giunta Maroni) sfida il segretario al congresso
  20. ^ Lega, un mantovano lancia la sfida a Salvini
  21. ^ "Lega, Fava si candida a segretario. Salvini: "Bene la candidatura di Fava"". Archived from the original on 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
  22. ^ Camera dei Deputati – Giovanni Fava
  23. ^ Fava, ho firme,partecipo a primarie Lega
  24. ^ Lega Nord, primarie il 14 maggio. Congresso il 21
  25. ^ Lega Nord Padania – Facebook
  26. ^ "Primarie Lega, Salvini centra l'obiettivo: con l'82,7% resta segretario. L'attacco di Bossi: "Con lui la Lega è finita"". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  27. ^ Lega, Salvini avverte Berlusconi: "Maggioritario se vuoi davvero vincere"
  28. ^ Primarie Lega il 14 maggio, Salvini: "Bellissimo giorno di ascolto"
  29. ^ Primarie Lega il 14/5, esulta Salvini
  30. ^ Lega, spunta l'anti-Salvini. Gianni Fava (giunta Maroni) sfida il segretario al congresso
  31. ^ Gianni Fava sfida Salvini per la guida della Lega, venerdì sarà a Grumello