Born in Varese on March 15th, 1955. Married, three children. Residing in Varese.
Graduated in Law. Lawyer.
He was responsible for the legal department of a US multinational. In his free time, he plays the Hammond organ in the soul band District 51.
Member of the “Lega Nord”. He is part of the “Lega Lombarda” since its creation and he started his political activity with Umberto Bossi in 1979. Provincial Secretary of the “Lega Nord” in Varese and member of the national council of the “Lega Lombarda”, in 1990 he was elected municipal councilor in Varese, then Councillor in the first Council by the leadership of “Lega Nord” of the city.
Elected Parliament in 1992, he became Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the “Lega Nord” to the Chamber of Deputies in 1993. The following year he joined the in the Berlusconi I Cabinet as Vice-President of the Council and Minister of the Interior.
Re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1996 with the Group “Lega Nord Padania” and he is a member of the I Standing Committee (Constitutional Affairs), the III Standing Committee (Foreign and Community Affairs) and of the Council for Authorizations to Proceed to Trial.
In 2001, re-elected MP, he was took the office of Minister of Labour and Social Policy (Welfare) in the II and III Berlusconi Cabinet.
During his term he brings to completions, after an intensive dialogue with the social partners, a substantial reform of the labor legislation (Biagi Law) aimed at making more flexible and inclusive of the Italian labor market. It also creates a important pension reform with the aim of developing the system of private supplementary pension.
In 2006 he was elected Chairman of the parliamentary group Lega Nord Padania the Chamber of Deputies and became a member of the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic, the Parliamentary Delegation to the Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Delegation to the Assembly of the Union of Western Europe.
In 2008 he was re-elected to the Chamber with the Lega Nord Padania and he is part of the Berlusconi I Cabinet with the position of Minister of the Interior.
During his mandate he develops an effective counteraction to organized crime by achieving significant results, especially in the attack on mafia assets.
On 1 July 2012 he was elected Federal Secretary of the Political Movement confederal “Lega Nord per l’Indipendenza della Padania”.
Following the regional elections of 24th and 25th February, 2013 he was elected President of the Lombardy Region.