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