Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is facing serious competition for the first time on the far right of the political spectrum. A new party, Futuro Nazionale, has emerged, founded by former General Roberto Vannacci. The former officer has become one of the most controversial figures of Italian nationalism in recent years and now aims to occupy the political space to the right of Meloni’s governing party.
Initial polls see Futuro Nazionale receiving four to six percent of the vote. Although the party remains well behind Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia, it could change the power balance within the right-wing government camp. Especially Matteo Salvini’s Lega is expected to suffer from the new competitor. At the same time, Vannacci seems to appeal to voters who now find Meloni’s governing style too pragmatic.
Vannacci became known through a book containing racist, homophobic, and xenophobic statements. The publication led to disciplinary measures by the Italian military but also granted him significant media attention and made him a symbol figure of the ultranationalist camp.
His political platform focuses on defending Italian identity and Christian civilization. This is accompanied by calls for a significantly stricter migration policy, rejection of so-called “woke” social policies, and the strengthening of the traditional family image. In foreign policy, Vannacci also takes a more Russia-friendly stance than the Meloni government.
This is precisely where the political paradox lies. Giorgia Meloni came to power in 2022 with a clearly right-conservative agenda. Since taking office, however, she has pursued a significantly more pragmatic course in key policy areas. This applies to cooperation with the European Union, economic and fiscal policy, as well as consistent support for Ukraine. This development simultaneously opened a political space for forces advocating a more uncompromising right-wing line.
In the short term, however, Vannacci is not considered a serious threat to Meloni’s leadership role. Fratelli d’Italia remains the country’s strongest political force with around 28 to 30 percent. The greater challenge lies in the possible fragmentation of the conservative camp. Especially the already weakened Lega could lose more votes, which would sustainably change the internal power dynamics within the governing coalition.
Whether Futuro Nazionale can establish itself permanently will depend largely on whether Vannacci manages to convert his current media notoriety into a stable party organization. For Giorgia Meloni, the emergence of the new party means that she will have to keep an eye not only on the political center but also on the right edge of her voter base in the future. The development could reorder the Italian right in the coming years without immediately endangering the government majority.
By Andreas M. Brucker