some journalists in july 2016 speculated a nomination of fontana as ln candidate in 2018 election for president of lombardy if the incumbent president of region roberto maroni (who was elected in 2013 regional election for a 5 year term with the support of lega lombarda and lega nord – the parties of maroni and fontana – and with the support of the other parties members of the 2013 center right coalition) will not run for a second consecutive (and final) term; in january 2018, when maroni announced his retirement from politics, fontana was selected as centre-right (composed by fi, ln, fdi, epl, nci and his civic personal list named "fontana list" composed by members of pp, rc, mns and also by civic, independent and non-partisans members) candidate to the presidency of lombardy.