“I am the emblem of everything you hate.” It is not just a provocation, but a programmatic statement that has accompanied the public trajectory of for years Daniela Santanchèone of the most recognizable – and divisive – figures of the contemporary Italian right.
Born in Cuneo in 1961 and graduated in Political Science at the University of Turin, Santanchè entered the world of work in the 1980s by founding communications and public relations companies, including Dani Comunicazione. Entrepreneurship precedes politics and profoundly marks its style: centrality of the image, attention to branding, construction of a strong and uncompromising public character.
The transition to politics took place in the mid-nineties, when he approached the National Alliance alongside Ignazio La Russa. In 2001 she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, where she remained until 2008. In that year she ran for the presidency of the Council with “The Right” movement by Francesco Storace, but without being elected.
In 2010 she entered the Berlusconi government as undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council, during the experience of the People of Freedom. After the parenthesis with Forza Italia, the decisive step came in December 2017, when he joined Giorgia Meloni and her party, Brothers of Italyof which he became a reference figure in Lombardy.
The most recent political consecration comes with the 2022 elections: elected to the Senate in the constituency of Cremona, where she clearly surpasses Carlo Cottarelli, Santanchè is appointed Minister of Tourism in the government led by Giorgia Meloni in October of the same year.
Alongside his political career, the link with the business and luxury world remains constant. Together with Flavio Briatore he contributed to the development of clubs that are symbols of exclusive Italian nightlife such as the Billionaire and the Twiga. An intertwining of business and public roles that has often fueled controversy over a possible conflict of interest, pushing her over time to sell some shareholdings.
Since June 2023, when an investigation turns the spotlight back on the companies connected to her, Santanchè enters a long season of political and judicial pressure. The charges include, among other things, ithe false accounting linked to the Visibilia group and an alleged INPS scam on the Covid redundancy fund. Added to these are new investigations into corporate events within the Bioera-Ki Group.
Yet, for almost three years, the minister did not back down in the face of opposition calls for her to resign. Resists three parliamentary motions of no confidence – rejected on 26 July 2023, 4 April 2024 and 25 February 2025 – and to growing political and media pressure. His line remains immutable, entrusted to firmly repeated declarations: «I was innocent yesterday, I am innocent today, I will be innocent tomorrow», «I am not resigning», «I have not taken a euro from the State», «I will not be tried in the streets».
In February 2025, speaking in the Chamber during yet another motion of no confidence, he transformed the Chamber into a stage, claiming identity and style: «I am your absolute evil, I am a free woman, I wear 12 centimeter heels, I care about my body, I love dressing well. I plastically represent everything you hate, you will never be able to make me become like you». A defense that mixes politics and personal narrative, a typical feature of his career.
Even in the face of growing isolation, Santanchè continues to relaunch: «If I resign, many will have to leave», «My colleagues will not vote against me», «Giorgia will never give up on me». A stubborn resistance, which is based on the idea of never backing down in the face of what he defines as “obstinacy”.
In the meantime, he also claims the results of the government’s action, speaking of growing tourism and defining 2025 as “a record year”, despite controversy over measures and communication campaigns to relaunch tourism such as “Open to Wonder”.
The turning point comes only when the pressure becomes political rather than judicial. After the referendum defeat and with the climate now compromised, it is the same Giorgia Meloni to publicly ask her to take a step back. No longer a postponable choice.
However, Santanchè doesn’t give up, he resists until the end, faithful to the line he has held for years. But in the end – Wednesday at 6pm – he leaves the Ministry of Tourism. Not a change of position, but rather an epilogue imposed by the political balance. As he wrote in the letter addressed to Giorgia Meloni, giving her first name and pronouncing, at the end, the fateful word: “I obey”. Complete with a gloss: «I wanted it to be clear, for my honour, that I am taking a step back, not only in response to the request that the head of my Party deems useful and appropriate. I wanted and want to underline that to date my criminal record is immaculate and that for the redundancy fund issue there is not even a simple indictment». To then add: «I would not like to be the scapegoat for a defeat that was certainly not caused by me, also considering the result in Lombardy and even in my municipality».
