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.
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]
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