Italian politician Umberto Bossi, founder of the far-right Northern League party, which became the League, died Thursday at the age of 84.

This senator and friend of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had succeeded in making his small regional party a major player in Italian political life, before being caught up by health problems and a corruption scandal.

The far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised on X his "fundamental contribution" to Italian politics.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described him on X as "a key figure in the changes brought about in Italy".

Umberto Bossi died in Varese, in the north of the country, after being admitted to intensive care in the hospital, according to media reports.

Known for his provocative remarks, he founded the secessionist Northern League party in the 1980s and spent most of his career fighting against "corrupt Rome".

His political career was long, and he held mandates for almost thirty years in one or the other chamber of the Italian Parliament.

In its early days, the Northern League called on the prosperous north of the country to secede from the poorer south.

Having become a close ally of Silvio Berlusconi, Umberto Bossi secured a stake for his party in each of his governments.

Having suffered a stroke in 2004 which had temporarily sidelined him from politics, he returned to the forefront, targeting in particular migrants, one of the favorite themes of his party.

Accusations of corruption had forced him to resign as head of the party in 2012, and he was sentenced five years later to two years in prison, a verdict that was subsequently overturned.

Matteo Salvini took over the party leadership in 2013, changing its name to simply The League in order to gain votes across Italy. The League is now part of the radical right-wing coalition in power in Italy.