Futuro Nazionale, the far-right movement that’s drawn lawmakers away from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition, has formally become a party, now posing one of the largest risks to her reelection.
The party will have a “zero tolerance” policy on security, Roberto Vannacci, a member of the European Parliament and founder of Futuro Nazionale, said on Sunday. Vannacci, formerly with the League party, reiterated a strongly nationalist policies, ranging from the economy to education, designed to curb migration. “Italy should be the home of Italians,” he said.
Vannacci’s rise in the polls has become one of the biggest domestic challenges to Meloni since she was elected in 2022. Without Futuro Nazionale’s inclusion, Meloni’s ruling right-wing coalition would risk losing to a large left and centrist coalition, according to SWG polling for local broadcaster La7 last week. This has made Vannacci a key figure ahead of a general election, set to happen by the end of next year.
It remains unclear whether Vannacci will align his party with Meloni or against her. In an interview with La7 this week, he said the issue wasn’t currently on the agenda, and that any move would hinge on his “red lines” on security, immigration and the economy.
His remarks come after Futuro Nazionale held a two-day constituent assembly in Rome, in which delegates called for hundreds of thousands of migrants to be returned their home countries.
Futuro Nazionale has pulled away members of Parliament from the League, contributing to a crisis within the far-right party led by Matteo Salvini. The League is one of the three parties within the government’s coalition, along with Forza Italia and Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, meaning any departures directly affect Meloni.
Read More: Italy’s Far-Right League Party Mulls Restructuring to End Crisis
“We have many ideas in common with the prime minister,” he said in the interview with La7. “The problem is how to put them in action. Many of the things that had been proposed have not come to fruition.”
Vannacci, 57, has embraced anti-migrant, pro-Russia and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, often drawing rebukes for his remarks. During the La7 interview, he criticized both the League and Forza Italia for being too centrist.
“If the League presents itself as the backer of traditional families and then invites LGBTQ representatives to party meetings, it’s not a problem of Vannacci, it’s a problem of the League,” he said. “Vannacci has remained very consistent with his own principles.”
Vannacci’s success will also depend on a new electoral law that Parliament is expected to approve this summer. After some coalition infighting , the latest draft would give any coalition receiving more than 42% of the vote a large seat bonus in both chambers of Parliament to create a more stable majority.
Read More: Meloni Pushes Italian Electoral Reform Ahead of 2027 Election