Garavaglia, who is the former Bocconi minister who challenges Salvini at the congress

The die is cast. There will surprisingly be another candidate at the extraordinary congress of the League called by the outgoing secretary Matteo Salvini to end a summer of internal controversies on the party line. Challenging the Northern League leader and acting as spokesperson for the dissidents will be Massimo Garavaglia, long-time senator of the Northern League, former Minister of Tourism, president of the Finance and Treasury commission of Palazzo Madama, who has always been close to Attilio Fontana and Giancarlo Giorgetti.

Born in 1968, originally from Cuggiono, in the province of Milan, Garavaglia, graduated in economics and commerce with a specialization in the science of corporate finance at Bocconi, a business consultant by profession, has a long political career behind him, which began as mayor of the municipality of Marcallo con Casone in 1999. His arrival in Parliament for the first time dates back to 2006. Candidate on the lists of the Northern League in the Lombardy 1 constituency in fourth position, he was elected to the Chamber thanks to the resignation of Umberto Bossi to maintain his position as MEP.

In the early political elections of 2008 he was elected to the Senate. And during the legislature he holds the position of vice-president of the Budget Commission. While in December 2011 he was appointed president of the Economy Commission of the Northern Parliament wanted by Umberto Bossi. Re-elected at Palazzo a Madama in February 2013, the following month he was appointed budget councilor by the new president of the Lombardy regional council Roberto Maroni. Hence the resignation from Palazzo Madama.

But Garavaglia also has experience at Palazzo Chigi as a former Minister of Tourism with the Draghi government and before that as undersecretary and deputy minister at the Mef with the Conte I government.

Also a senator in the 19th legislature, he holds the position of president of the Finance and Treasury Commission and member of the parliamentary commission for regional issues.