In an auditorium a few steps from the Vatican, Roberto Vannacci – a former Italian army general known to supporters as ‘Il Generale’ – is rallying supporters of his new party, posing as an outsider as he recreates the right to challenge Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of US President Donald Trump.
Vannacci’s fast-growing “Futuro Nazionale” party is injecting new uncertainty into the conservative bloc that has supported Meloni’s government, exposing tensions ahead of the 2027 general election.
The question, analysts say, is no longer whether Vannacci will sway the vote, but whether Meloni can control, engage or defeat the challenger carving out a political space to his right.
The emergence of a right-wing challenger to Meloni could also test his government’s stability and threaten the more moderate, pro-Europe approach the prime minister has so far adopted despite his previous Euro-skeptic remarks.
Vannacci’s rise comes as far-right and nationalist parties gain ground across Europe, shifting the political landscape to focus on divisive issues such as immigration and security.
‘Real rights’
“With us, Italy will be the home of Italians again,” Vannacci said at the founding meeting of his party this weekend in Rome, “Everyone must feel safe in his home.”
