In 2023, the publication of a far-right book titled “The World Turned Upside Down” by an active Italian general led to a swift disciplinary investigation. Roberto Vannacci’s work was filled with hostility and prejudice, criticizing the acceptance of homosexuality and questioning the Italian identity of a prominent black volleyball player. The ensuing controversy propelled the book onto bestseller lists, and Vannacci faced suspension for tarnishing the military’s reputation.
With Italy’s next general election just a year away, Vannacci has become a significant concern not for the military, but for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Now serving in the European Parliament, he leveraged his controversial status to establish a new political party called National Future in February. This party claims that Meloni’s coalition government has betrayed its far-right supporters by not being sufficiently extreme. Vannacci, a former paratrooper who has worked as a military attaché in Moscow, advocates for a “true right” that aligns with pro-Putin and anti-Ukraine sentiments, rejects the European Union, and aims to restore Italy’s “cultural homogeneity” through the expulsion of immigrants and their descendants.
Alarming polling results indicate that National Future is now positioned just behind Forza Italia, the second-largest party within Meloni’s hard-right coalition, and ahead of Matteo Salvini’s League. This rapid ascent of Vannacci poses a significant challenge for Meloni as she prepares to face the left’s united front in the upcoming elections. To secure victory, she may need to align with a party that openly embraces Italy’s fascist heritage, which would contradict her efforts to position her own Brothers of Italy party—bearing a neo-fascist symbol—as part of mainstream conservative politics.
Europe should take note of Vannacci’s rise. Amid growing concerns about Russian influence within far-right movements, he has expressed openness to potential funding from both Moscow and Beijing. The emergence of National Future underscores a broader trend where far-right factions are pushing mainstream politics towards increasingly extreme stances on immigration.
Similar dynamics are observable in the UK, where Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain party is pulling Reform UK further to the right. Similarly, Poland’s Law and Justice party is adopting a more nationalist and Eurosceptic approach to compete with emerging far-right parties. In Germany, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is on the verge of a significant breakthrough in eastern state elections and is currently leading in national polls.
The political ramifications were evident last week when leaders overreacted to the migrant crisis in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. With an eye on her right flank, Meloni called for early measures against Spain in response to the migrant situation. Meanwhile, Vannacci seized the moment to amplify his advocacy for a Europe-wide “remigration” strategy.
Vannacci’s extreme political views are widely regarded as unacceptable. In contrast, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has firmly rejected any form of national alliance with the AfD. Should Meloni consider any form of cooperation with Vannacci, it would severely undermine her already tenuous claim to mainstream legitimacy.
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