Lega Congress, Salvini: 'If confirmed as secretary, I will say at the Cabinet meeting: stop money and weapons to Ukraine'

Voting is underway for the leadership of the League between candidates Matteo Salvini and Massimo Garavaglia. Lorenzo Fontana, who chairs the party's extraordinary congress in Milan, officially opened the polls. The 706 delegates entitled to vote have until 1:40 pm. Delegates closest to Garavaglia are calling for transparency, denouncing that instructions are reportedly circulating — from the other candidate's camp — to make votes recognizable by region, by writing Salvini's name in slightly different ways, for example in capital letters. "This congress, if you re-elect me as secretary, will give me the mandate to go to the Council of Ministers and present the League's clear position: we cannot keep sending money to Ukraine," said Deputy Prime Minister Salvini during his speech at the congress. Salvini then asked the assembled delegates: "Raise your hand if you believe I have this mandate." Salvini spoke about the new party symbol: the word "Lega" in large letters at the top, the Alberto da Giussano in the center, and the yellow wording "Italia federale" (Federal Italy) below. "I will propose this symbol, without my name," Matteo Salvini said at the congress of the Carroccio. A logo that "holds together the past, the present and the future," he added. "I thank Massimo — he said, referring to his challenger Massimo Garavaglia — for giving us the opportunity to have a debate in the only place where a debate is appropriate. We are here because, like for Massimo, for me for 36 years the League has been my family; my children know it, those who live with me know it, my parents know it. For how many of you does the League come before family?" From the stage, Salvini took a jab at Garavaglia, who had earlier said: "On Monday I'm going to visit companies and tomorrow I'll be in the Brescia area. All the entrepreneurs tell me: 'Keep it up, say hi to Giorgetti and thank him.' This is fundamental." Shortly after, Salvini replied: "The entrepreneurs of the North asked us to join the Draghi government, then at the general election they voted for the only ones who weren't in the Draghi government. Besides Massimo (Garavaglia, challenger for the leadership, ed.), I say, about the compliments to Giorgetti — which I also make — if they voted for us it wouldn't be so bad... the pat on the back for the League and the vote for someone else won't save our factories from the EU." Salvini also stressed: "I regret the choice and I take full responsibility for it, entering the Draghi government with the PD. Never again, never again, never again." "We have world-class people that everyone envies us for. If I were to win, I want at my side, and in front of me, these world-class people: Zaia, Durigon, Giorgetti, and obviously Matteo Salvini. We have the world-class talent." "Why did I run? Because the goal is to reverse the trend, we need to wake up," said Garavaglia. "Polls are indications, they give a direction. We got 8.8% in the election and we haven't grown. We need to grow," he added. "If I were ever to win, there will be no reprisals, no punishments, no blacklists: we are a family." Earlier, Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti spoke. "Is everything fine? No, not everything is fine. We clearly perceive — he said — that we have problems. We are here to improve. And it's perfectly understandable for those who started from zero. Marti (secretary of the League in Puglia, ed.), it's clear that you're happy if you get 8%. The problem is if in Bergamo, where they were used to getting 50%, they get 20% and get angry and ask themselves why. So how do we recover? People here have talked about the team. I simply say: let's bring into the team those who have proven on the ground that they can generate consensus." LIVE: The second and final day of the congress began nearly an hour late due to technical problems, at the Allianz MiCo convention center in Milan. Lorenzo Fontana, chairing the assembly, apologized, saying: "Artificial intelligence evidently isn't all that intelligent yet; we have room to survive." Today the two candidates for the leadership will face off: the resigning Matteo Salvini and challenger Massimo Garavaglia, senator and former minister in the Draghi government. Whoever wins will lead the party for 4 years, until 2030. Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA