Italian politics has lost a figure who has shaped recent decades. Umberto Bossi died in Varese at the age of 84. Founder of the Lega Lombarda, then of the Lega Nord, he remained in the public imagination as the Senator, present in Palazzo Madama since 1987.
Career and Political Profile
Bossi began as a regionalist leader, inspired by autonomist and federalist ideas, and in just a few years transformed a local movement into a national force. He championed the defense of the so-called Padania against what he called "thieving Rome" and often adopted harsh tones that sparked discussion and controversy in the political scene.
Throughout his career, he held government positions: he was Minister for Institutional Reforms and Devolution between 2001 and 2004 and then Minister for Federalism Reforms between 2008 and 2011. He held positions in both the Italian Parliament and the European Parliament.
Health and Partial Retirement
His health had been a problem for some time. In 2004, he suffered a stroke that limited his public appearances. He had had other warning signs in the past, with ischemia in 1991 and other ailments in subsequent years. After his stroke, he resigned from his ministerial post but maintained a political presence, albeit a reduced one.
Controversies and Key Transitions
Bossi's political history is marked by electoral successes but also by controversial episodes. The League's early years were marked by lively demonstrations and outbursts, and Bossi and his movement were repeatedly accused of using offensive language against immigrants, homosexuals, and Southerners. One of these incidents led to a conviction for contempt of the President of the Republic, a sentence later commuted with a pardon in 2019.
Under his leadership, the League grew and drew support from traditional parties, often becoming the deciding factor in alliances. His relationship with Silvio Berlusconi was marked by alternating alliances and disagreements: collaboration but also public clashes.
Financial scandals were not lacking. Bossi was forced to acknowledge illicit financing of the League, and in 2012, internal pressure and investigations led to his resignation as party secretary. The party symbol was changed, removing his name and replacing it with the word "Padania" under the figure of Alberto da Giussano. He remained, however, as federal president, until he was later ousted by the rise of Matteo Salvini, who founded the new national party.
In the years that followed, relations with his successor remained tense. In the recent elections, his re-election was in the balance until the very end, resolved only after a recount that confirmed him in Parliament after 35 years.
Condolences
The institutional and political reactions were immediate. The President of the Republic expressed his condolences for the passing, recognizing Bossi's role in the long history of Italian politics and expressing his closeness to the family.
- Matteo Salvini shared a farewell message on X, expressing his gratitude and commitment to continuing on the path indicated by the late leader. He has also canceled his scheduled engagements and will return to Milan on the first flight.
- Luca Zaia, a former minister under Bossi, emphasized the Senator's contribution in bringing attention to the Northern issue and the push towards federalism.
- Elly Schlein expressed condolences on behalf of her party.
- Pierluigi Bersani called him the most dignified opponent he has encountered in politics, adding words of affection.
- Antonio Tajani remembered Bossi as a protagonist of Italian political change and expressed his greetings to the family.
- Pier Ferdinando Casini spoke of a rough but also profoundly good man, who marked the country's political history.
Umberto Bossi leaves a polarizing political legacy: for some, he was an innovator of the political system and an architect of the rooting of the demands For others, he was the author of tones and choices that fueled divisions and controversy. His figure will remain at the center of Italian public debate for a long time.
