Vannacci, a polarizing figure whose nationalist and anti-immigration views have sparked repeated controversy, is currently deputy secretary of the League. But weeks of internal tensions have pushed relations within the party to breaking point.
Salvini had been expected to meet his rebellious deputy for talks, but Vannacci’s latest move appears to reduce the prospect of a reconciliation, pushing the party closer to a possible split.
The former general rose to prominence in Italy thanks to his on-stage charisma and his extreme views on the country’s past, with critics accusing him of historical revisionism. He has described dictator Benito Mussolini as a statesman and said that the March on Rome in 1922, when the fascist party took power, “was not a coup, but nothing more than a street demonstration.”
The rollout of his new party has not been without hiccups, however.
The National Future’s logo immediately caused confusion. In a statement, the right-wing think tank Nazione Futura (Future Nation) sought to distance itself from Vannacci’s initiative, saying there were similarities between the names and logos of the two groups. The think tank is led by Francesco Giubilei, a prominent figure on the Italian right.
On the political stage, skepticism is also growing over whether Vannacci’s project will take off.