Matteo Salvini's far-right League party is experiencing a severe internal crisis, risking disintegration as a political force. This crisis has been brought to public attention by his deputy, Roberto Vannacci, an ex-general and supporter of Benito Mussolini, who has threatened to form a splinter party called National Future. Salvini initially brought Vannacci in to broaden the League's appeal, a gamble that seemed to pay off in the 2024 European elections where Vannacci personally received over 500,000 preference votes, approximately 1.5 percent of the national total. However, Vannacci has since become a liability, flouting party discipline, building his own internal group, and openly considering launching his own party.
The League's traditional northern separatist camp is particularly agitated by Vannacci's actions. Prominent northern leaders, including Luca Zaia, head of the Veneto regional assembly, are privately demanding Vannacci's expulsion. Attilio Fontana, the president of Lombardy, while not explicitly calling for Salvini's resignation, urged him to "move to the side" and called for a return to the League's historical causes of federalism and autonomy. This internal revolt was evident at an August 7 meeting in Milan, where approximately 20 of 30 interventions were critical of Salvini, with five members explicitly calling for his resignation.
Roberto Vannacci's Futuro Nazionale is rapidly gaining traction, posing a significant challenge to the ruling coalition. A July 25 Ipsos Doxa poll for Corriere della Sera showed Brothers of Italy at 26.5 percent, while the League had fallen to just 5.1 percent. Crucially, Futuro Nazionale was at 7.1 percent, already two points ahead of the League. More recent surveys, like one published on September 1 by SWG, indicate Futuro Nazionale at 7.5 percent, surpassing Forza Italia (7.1 percent) and becoming Italy's fourth most popular political force. This surge for Vannacci's party siphons support from the ruling alliance, and while its potential electorate is estimated at about 2 percent of the right-wing coalition, this could be critical in national elections, potentially preventing a clear majority for Meloni's government. If Futuro Nazionale remains outside the alliance, it risks splitting the right-wing vote, potentially jeopardizing the coalition's chances in the 2027 national elections.
