Ignazio La Russa

Ignazio La Russa is an Italian politician of Fratelli d’Italia (FdI) and, since 2022, President of the Senate of the Republic. A long-time figure of the Italian right, he is one of the party’s founders and leading institutional representatives.

Political career

Ignazio Benito Maria La Russa was born in 1947 in Paternò, Sicily, into a politically engaged family. He later moved to Milan, where he built much of his public career and professional network. He trained as a lawyer and became active in politics in the post-war Italian right, first within the Italian Social Movement (MSI), the neo-fascist party that formed the backbone of Italy’s post-war hard right.

La Russa entered parliament in the 1990s and became a prominent organiser and speaker within the right-wing camp. As the MSI evolved into the National Alliance (Alleanza Nazionale, AN), he remained one of the most recognisable figures of the movement. In the early 2000s, he held senior roles in the centre-right and was often seen as a bridge between the post-fascist tradition and the more mainstream conservative right.

A major step in his national career came in the government led by Silvio Berlusconi, when he served as Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2011. During that period, he was responsible for defence policy, military deployments and Italy’s position in international security affairs. His tenure coincided with Italy’s involvement in operations abroad and with a broader debate on the role of the armed forces.

After the decline of the old centre-right alliances, La Russa became one of the co-founders of Fratelli d’Italia in 2012, together with Giorgia Meloni and Guido Crosetto. FdI initially remained a smaller force on the right, but it later grew into the leading party in Italy. La Russa’s role in the party was less electoral than organisational and institutional: he helped give the new party continuity with earlier right-wing traditions.

In 2022, following the general election won by the centre-right coalition, La Russa was elected President of the Senate of the Republic, one of the highest offices in the Italian state. The post confirmed his status as a senior institutional figure of the governing majority.

Relationship with the public

La Russa is a highly recognisable politician, especially among voters and activists on the Italian right. He is often perceived as a combative, media-savvy and loyal party operative, with a strong public identity shaped by decades in politics. His style is assertive and often provocative, which makes him effective with a politically committed audience but also polarising in broader public debate.

He has maintained a close relationship with the activist base of the Italian conservative right, particularly those who appreciate continuity with the MSI and AN traditions. At the same time, his long career and sharp rhetoric have made him a frequent target of criticism from the left and from sections of civil society concerned with historical memory, institutional language and right-wing symbolism.

In the media, La Russa is known for his readiness to comment on political events, including sensitive topics linked to Italy’s past, institutional reform and party strategy. He is often presented as one of the most experienced internal figures in FdI, capable of articulating the party’s historical identity even when its public leadership is centred on Giorgia Meloni.

Positions and political profile

La Russa’s political profile is rooted in the national right, with strong emphasis on order, sovereignty, defence, patriotic identity and institutional authority. He has long been associated with a conservative understanding of the state and with a sympathetic reading of the traditions that fed into post-war right-wing politics in Italy.

As Minister of Defence, he was identified with a robust view of Italy’s military role and of national security policy. More broadly, he has defended a political vision in which law, hierarchy and state authority are central values. Within Fratelli d’Italia, he is part of the party’s historical memory: a figure who connects its current mainstream conservative image to earlier right-wing currents.

He is perceived inside the party as an elder statesman and as one of the founders who helped structure FdI’s political identity. Outside the party, assessments are more divided: supporters regard him as experienced, reliable and institutionally solid; critics see him as a symbol of the more controversial traditions of the Italian far right. His public interventions and symbolic associations have at times drawn scrutiny, particularly when debates arise about Italy’s post-fascist heritage.

A defining feature of La Russa’s career is his ability to move between movement politics and institutions. Unlike many figures confined to party activism, he has occupied a senior constitutional office while remaining closely identified with a partisan political family. His election as President of the Senate in 2022 marked the culmination of a career spent at the centre of the Italian right.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ignazio La Russa? He is an Italian politician from Fratelli d’Italia and has served as President of the Senate since 2022. He is also one of the co-founders of FdI and a long-standing figure on the Italian right.

What party does he belong to? He belongs to Fratelli d’Italia (FdI), the conservative national-right party led by Giorgia Meloni.

What offices has he held? His most important posts include Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2011 and President of the Senate of the Republic from 2022 to the present. He has also been a leading parliamentary and party figure for decades.

Why is Ignazio La Russa important in Italian politics? He is important because he helped shape the evolution of the post-fascist and conservative right in Italy, first through the MSI and AN and later through the founding of FdI. He is also a senior institutional figure in the current governing majority.

How is he viewed politically? He is seen by supporters as experienced, loyal and institutionally authoritative, while critics often regard him as a polarising figure linked to the historical traditions of the Italian far right.

What is his main political profile? His profile combines national conservatism, a strong emphasis on state authority, and a public style that is often direct and confrontational.