Full Breakdown
Roberto Vannacci’s Futuro Nazionale Threatens to Reshape Italy’s Right-Wing Landscape
6/9/2026, 12:00:59 AM
The Rise of Futuro Nazionale
Former paratrooper and ex-defence attaché Roberto Vannacci launched the far-right party Futuro Nazionale in February 2026 after leaving the League. Within four months the movement has attracted roughly 100,000 paying members and is polling at 4.6 % nationally, close behind the League’s 5.8 % (SWG poll, 8 June 2026). The party’s inaugural ceremony is scheduled for the weekend of 8 June, positioning it as a new force ahead of the parliamentary election expected within the next 18 months.
Background and Political Context
Vannacci first entered national politics by publishing a book that criticised LGBTQ people, migrants and feminists, prompting Defence Minister Guido Crosetto to say the work “brought the army into disrepute.” The book led to Vannacci’s suspension from active service. He then joined the League, led by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, and was elected to the European Parliament in 2024. While in Brussels he aligned with Germany’s far-right AfD, a grouping shunned by mainstream parties. His departure from the League and formation of Futuro Nazionale marks a second split on the Italian right, echoing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s own rise from protest politics to government in 2022.
Key Figures and Groups
- Roberto Vannacci – Founder and leader of Futuro Nazionale.
- Giorgia Meloni – Prime Minister, leader of Brothers of Italy, heading the governing centre-right coalition.
- Matteo Salvini – League leader and Deputy Prime Minister, whose earlier alliance with Vannacci has unraveled.
- Antonio Tajani – Foreign Minister and Forza Italia leader, who has publicly refused contact with Vannacci.
- Guido Crosetto – Defence Minister, critic of Vannacci’s earlier publication.
- Alberto Bagnai – League lawmaker commenting on the pattern of hard-line break-aways.
Data and Statistics
- Membership: ~100,000 paying supporters (Vannacci claim).
- Polling: 4.6 % for Futuro Nazionale; 5.8 % for the League (SWG, 8 June).
- Parliamentary recruitment: Eight sitting lawmakers have joined Futuro Nazionale from coalition parties.
- European alignment: Vannacci sits with the AfD-led group in the European Parliament.
Official Statements & Responses
- Defence Minister Crosetto warned that Vannacci’s book “brought the army into disrepute,” underscoring the government’s concern over the general’s public image.
- Foreign Minister Tajani stated, “I don’t talk to Vannacci,” while leaving open the possibility of future contact ahead of the election.
- The Meloni government has not indicated any intention to form an alliance with Futuro Nazionale, emphasizing its commitment to a “moderate” right-wing platform that supports NATO and Ukraine.
- Vannacci has repeatedly insisted that any coalition must respect the party’s “purity” and that he will not compromise on core positions.
Criticism & Opposition
Political science professor Sofia Ventura (Bologna University) argued that Salvini “hoped to take advantage of Vannacci’s popularity, but it has back-fired horribly on him,” forcing the League toward more radical stances. League lawmaker Alberto Bagnai warned that hard-line break-aways “must decide whether to remain pure and hard-line…or seek a compromise with the centre-right,” suggesting a potential split in the right-wing vote.
Why It Matters
Futuro Nazionale’s rapid growth could siphon votes from both the League and Meloni’s bloc, altering the balance of Italy’s centre-right coalition ahead of the 2026 election. Its anti-EU rhetoric and skepticism toward Western aid to Ukraine also challenge Italy’s current Atlanticist posture, potentially reshaping the country’s foreign-policy alignment.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The sources provide consistent polling figures but do not disclose Futuro Nazionale’s detailed policy platform beyond anti-EU and Ukraine-skeptic positions, leaving the party’s broader legislative agenda unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We represent that right which is not faded, not wavering, not fearful,” — Roberto Vannacci, party founder
- “Many positions taken over the past three years by this government ... have revealed a fearful right,” — Roberto Vannacci
- “In my opinion, unconditional support in terms of weapons and money for Ukraine is not good for Europe,” — Roberto Vannacci
- “I don't talk to Vannacci,” — Antonio Tajani, Foreign Minister
- “Salvini hoped to take advantage of Vannacci's popularity, but it has backfired horribly on him,” — Sofia Ventura, political science professor
- “I've seen this story a million times. Someone stands up and says, 'You betrayed us; now here I come, pure and hardline, uncompromising',” — Alberto Bagnai, League lawmaker
What’s Next
Futuro Nazionale will be formally inaugurated this weekend, after which it is expected to field candidates in the upcoming parliamentary election. Both the League and Meloni’s coalition will need to decide whether to engage with Vannacci’s movement or risk a fragmented right-wing vote that could benefit centre-left parties.
