Matteo Salvini told the League's traditional rally at Pontida on Sunday that he will convene a federal council on Monday to call an extraordinary congress, according to Corriere della Sera. The announcement drew an ovation from the crowd and appeared to catch his internal critics off guard.
Corriere della Sera reports that Salvini said the congress would be proposed for October. La Repubblica described the move as a congress plan kept secret until the rally, quoting opponents within the party saying they had not expected it.
Il Foglio reported that the Pontida crowd acclaimed Roberto Romeo and chanted for Veneto governor Luca Zaia to become party secretary. According to Il Foglio, Salvini also said that "certain people without dignity will not find a home again," a remark aimed at his internal opponents.
Coverage of the rally also came from local outlets, with Leccoonline noting that League militants from the Lecco area joined the annual gathering. Ecodibergamo reported the event's official line that the party wins when united and "is and will be more united than ever," alongside Salvini's plan to propose an extraordinary congress in October.
The rally is a fixture of the League's calendar, and this year's edition became the stage for a leadership move rather than a routine show of unity.
What to watch next: whether Monday's federal council formally sets a congress date, and whether Zaia responds to the chants urging him to take the party's top job.