The League: from the ‘Maroni method’ for Milan to a liberal economy – this is how Garavaglia is launching a takeover bid for the party
The chair of the Senate Finance Committee explains to *Omnibus* on La7 the reasons behind his candidacy for the leadership of the Carroccio: “The Lega is not a far-right party.” And “if I had to choose between Borghi’s and Giorgetti’s economic policies, I’d go for Giorgetti any day.”
Key points
The cards were laid on the table this week with the announcement of his candidacy for the national congress. Now Massimo Garavaglia, the current chair of the Lega’s Finance Committee, is setting out the framework of his proposal to challenge Matteo Salvini for the leadership of the Lega. He did so during an interview on the ‘Omnibus’ programme on La7, calling for a ‘listening’ approach in line with Roberto Maroni’s teachings – including when selecting the candidate for mayor of Milan – whilst advocating a liberal economic stance and pointing the way towards a return to listening to the views of the local community.
The Forgotten Soul
First of all, the former Minister for Tourism explains the reasons behind his decision to stand for the leadership of the Carroccio: ‘Since there are different factions, I have the right to give a voice to a different faction. I have spoken to many people – governors, MPs – and a great many of them share this view; so the idea of holding a party conference where we can discuss matters calmly and move forward united, whilst listening to all sides, is what politics is all about.”
When asked why the League has fallen so far, Garavaglia replies: ‘In my view, we have lost sight of our core values, and we need to get back to talking to the people; that would do the League a world of good.’
The process for selecting the mayoral candidate in Milan
The Milan Chapter. Here, Garavaglia argues: ‘Choosing a candidate is complicated; Milan is a multi-layered city – there’s the Navigli area and then the rest. We need someone who can speak to both sides of Milan. Managing to appeal to both the major industrialists and those who struggle to make ends meet in Milan is a challenge. And then we need to appeal to the wider Milan area, because the city thrives on the huge number of commuters who travel there and keep it going. We need to take a broader view; we need a figure who can unite these two sides.”
Garavaglia’s idea is to reflect on the legacy of Roberto Maroni, a politician (who held important institutional posts such as minister and governor of Lombardy) who passed away almost four years ago and who shaped the history of the Lega: ‘Maroni’s greatest lesson: speak little, listen a great deal’.
