 The break-up of the coalition supporting the government led Negri and others to defect to the Federalist Italian League, while Maroni, despite disagreements with Bossi, chose to stay in the party.Negri was replaced as secretary by Roberto Calderoli, who, as president, had evicted him from the party, despite being his brother-in-law.Calderoli led the party to its best result up to that point in the 1996 general election, when it gained 25.5%.