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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Giada Zampano

Italy’s Meloni faces a far-right dilemma as 'Il Generale' Vannacci rises

Italy Politics - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

In a packed auditorium steps from the Vatican, Roberto Vannacci — the former Italian army general known to supporters as “Il Generale” — is rallying followers of his fledgling party, casting himself as an outsider while reshaping Italy’s right and challenging Premier Giorgia Meloni.

Vannacci’s fast-rising “Futuro Nazionale” party is injecting new uncertainty into the conservative bloc that has underpinned Meloni’s government, exposing tensions ahead of the 2027 general election.

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