Italy's League leader Salvini secures reappointment ahead of polls next year

MILAN, Oct 25 - Matteo Salvini shrugged off declining poll ratings on Sunday to be reelected leader of his far-right League party, part of Italy's ruling coalition, having vowed to press the government to stop financial support for Ukraine.

• Salvini, 53, had unexpectedly called an extraordinary congress of the League in September, a move which analysts saw as an attempt to shore up his authority ahead of a general election due next year

• Salvini was reappointed leader with roughly two thirds of the votes from 705 delegates attending the congress

• His sole opponent, Massimo Garavaglia, got one fifth of the votes

• Salvini said the first item on his agenda would be the approval of Italy's 2027-2029 budget bill on Tuesday

• Salvini said the economic situation was difficult and it was time to question whether Italy should keep sending money and weapons to Ukraine

• Salvini has been at the helm of the League since 2013, helping the party achieve a record 34% of the vote in the 2019 European Parliament election

• Recent polls put the League below 5%, behind coalition ally Forza Italia while National Future, a new far-right group formed in February by League dissidents, is approaching 9% REUTERS