Fast change at the top of Forza Italia in the Senate

The Senate group of Forza Italia is getting new leadership. Maurizio Gasparri is expected to step down after a majority of the party's senators signed to remove him. The replacement will be Stefania Craxi, who currently chairs the Senate commission on Foreign Affairs and Defense.

How the move happened

The signature collection was led by Claudio Lotito. By Thursday morning there were 13 signatures, which equals a majority of the party's senators. Those names reportedly included ministers Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and Paolo Zangrillo, Deputy Justice Minister Francesco Paolo Sisto, and Undersecretary to the Presidency Alberto Barachini.

Two sources familiar with the matter say that, with the signatures in place, Gasparri should submit his resignation in the coming hours.

Who pushed for the change

The initiative appears to have been driven by Marina Berlusconi, who has been asking for a refresh of the party group leaders at both the Chamber and the Senate. In recent weeks Lotito carried out the signature collection, and Craxi met with Marina Berlusconi in Milan shortly before this move.

Why Stefania Craxi?

Craxi was chosen for her experience rather than as a symbol of broad renewal inside Forza Italia. As president of the Senate commission on Foreign Affairs and Defense, she brings institutional know-how to the role.

What this signals

  • This is the first clear action by the Berlusconi family inside Forza Italia after the referendum result on justice on March 22 and 23.
  • Marina Berlusconi reportedly wants changes at the Chamber level as well, specifically a replacement for Paolo Barelli, but that change is not immediate.
  • Party leaders met Thursday morning, but the issue was not formally discussed in that meeting. Party secretary Antonio Tajani used the session to update municipal and provincial secretaries on the situation.

In short, the party leadership at the Senate will look different very soon, with the move framed as a practical swap driven by internal direction from the Berlusconi family and backed by a majority of senators.