Overview

• Matteo Salvini publicly named 32‑year‑old Alberto Stefani as his choice to succeed Luca Zaia, and the outgoing Veneto governor declared support for Stefani as the center‑right candidate.
• Talks among coalition leaders have yet to settle regional candidacies, with a Palazzo Chigi meeting focused on autonomy rather than nominees and continued friction over the use of the Lista Zaia.
• Senior Lega figures including Gian Marco Centinaio and Massimiliano Romeo are pressing for a clarification with Vannacci before the 21 September Pontida rally, and governors Zaia and Fedriga stressed alignment with the party under Salvini.
• Salvini sought to cool the dispute by calling Vannacci “a value added” and urging colleagues to avoid polemics as the party prepares a mass turnout at Pontida.
• Vannacci keeps building local “Team Vannacci” networks, defends his aim to “vannaccizzare” the party, and stirred controversy by saying he prefers Putin to Zelensky, while his influence on candidate lists—such as in Tuscany—has drawn pushback.