Garavaglia challenges Salvini at the Lega congress (with the backing of Attilio Fontana and Giorgetti). The call for a secret ballot

Now there is a candidate challenging Salvini – a true ‘Hidalgo’, a League member ready to put himself on the line. It is Massimo Garavaglia, a former minister, who is close to Attilio Fontana and Giancarlo Giorgetti. Garavaglia tells Il Foglio: “I’m ready to stand as a candidate at the League’s extraordinary congress, even if it’s just for a laugh. I’m ready to run. And we’ll have some fun.” Dear Garavaglia, are you really ready to stand as a candidate? “It’s true.” It is a candidacy that could shake up the extraordinary congress, even if only as a symbolic gesture, even if only to demonstrate that, alongside the overzealous ‘Noi con Salvini’ faction and ‘Papeetino’ Salvini, there is a section of the League that is pro-European, proud to keep its finances in order – a section that is ready to make its presence felt. It is a League, as Garavaglia puts it, that “is not far-right”.

This is not a lone candidacy. The whole of the north and the regional governors – Attilio Fontana, Fedriga, Fugatti and Zaia – could rally behind Garavaglia. What has Salvini been repeating for days? He keeps saying he is afraid of no one, so much so that he has lowered the number of signatures required; he repeats that he fears no one and that he dreams of party conferences with challengers. Well then. That is commendable. A leader like Salvini, a sincere democrat, can only envisage a secret ballot. At the Lega’s last party conference, the vote was by show of hands, but back then Salvini was the sole candidate. This time Garavaglia is in the running, and the vote, as is the case in genuine party conferences, is always a secret ballot. According to Salvini’s own words, it cannot be otherwise. Garavaglia adds: “It is clear that the vote must be by secret ballot.” Who is Garavaglia? Alongside Giorgetti, he is the Lega’s level-headed economist, a Bocconi graduate, former mayor and senator. A former deputy minister and undersecretary for the economy, and budget councillor under Maroni, he also served as Minister for Tourism under Draghi. Had Federico Freni, a man of integrity, not been mistreated by Tajani (and nominated to head Consob), Garavaglia was the name Giorgetti favoured to work alongside him. If Salvini keeps his promises, the party congress could be a celebration. He is such a steadfast leader at the helm of the party, and true leaders do not fear the jocular, the witty, the Garavaglias. True leaders, like Salvini, should be the first to regret that the Lega is no longer covered by a journalist like Federica Valenti of Agi, the reporter who has been covering the party for years. It began with a ‘hidalgo’, Attilio Fontana; now comes a ‘most hidalgo’ of all, confirming that the best way not to lose face is to put it on the line.