Italy’s former interior minister Roberto Maroni died on Tuesday at the age of 67.
According to Maroni's family, the politician, who also served as Lombardy governor and leader of the Northern Lega party, had been fighting serious illness for some time.
A pragmatic politician who moderated the line of the formerly radically secessionist Northern Lega, today the nationalist Lega, Maroni was widely respected across the political spectrum.
This was reflected by the tributes which flowed in on Tuesday.
Centre-left Democratic Party (PD) outgoing leader and ex-premier Enrico Letta said:
"I have so many memories, he will be sorely missed by us all."
The current favourite to replace Letta, Emilia-Romagna Governor Stefano Bonaccini said:
"He was a thoroughly decent person and a passionate politician"
Ex-premier and populist 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Giuseppe Conte stressed:
"We are losing an absolute protagonist of the political life of the last 30 years."
Former PD leader Piero Fassino said that Maroni was a “brave and fair adversary" while another former PD leader and ex-premier, European Economic Affairs Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, said "I remember a competent minister and a fair man". PD Milan Mayor Gisueppe Sala underlined that, "for me, he was above all, a friend".
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, of Lega's longtime ally Forza Italia (FI), said "he was a protagonist of Italian politics" while the Lega's Veneto Governor Luca Zaia said "we have lost an iconic figure of Lega, a true friend."
Premier Giorgia Meloni, a key ally of Lega, said "he served the institutions with common sense and concreteness”.
Lega’s current leader Matteo Salvini, who took over from Maroni and turned the party into a national force, said "he was always and will be a Leaguer forever and ever".
Maroni's family commended his “incurable optimism".
