A shrinking polling share and departures among local organizers are testing former Italian army general Roberto Vannacci’s effort to make Futuro Nazionale a force in Italy’s 2027 election, Reuters reported Nov. 6.
The party has taken support from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s conservative bloc, which Reuters said was trailing the center-left in polls. Futuro Nazionale is now Italy’s fourth-most popular party, and its backing could matter to Meloni’s bid for another term. She has ruled out an alliance with Vannacci.
Recent estimates from SWG and Ipsos put the party between 5.8% and 7.9%, below its roughly 9% high over the summer. Futuro Nazionale was formed by lawmakers who left the League and grew around calls to deport foreigners and opposition to LGBTQ rights.
The party is also facing disputes over its organization and priorities. Reuters reported that some former activists accused the party of pushing aside people who helped establish local committees. Antonio Noto, a pollster at Italian state broadcaster RAI, said the party initially drew people who had not voted before as well as voters who had left the center-right. Some of those supporters have since drifted away or returned to the coalition as Futuro Nazionale became less of a novelty, he said.
Policy differences have also prompted departures. Massimo Perrone, who left in September, said local public services and housing mattered more to him than the deportation plan, which he considered unworkable. Former member Marcello Orru said Vannacci’s attacks on gay people and proposal for separate classes for students with disabilities prompted him to seek another party. Vannacci also criticized a 2025 law that made femicide a distinct criminal offense.
Futuro Nazionale lawmaker Rossano Sasso rejected claims of internal tensions, saying membership continued to grow and negative polling was part of an effort to undermine the party, Reuters reported.
Vannacci has said he would consider a deal with the governing bloc if it adopted his policies. He wants renewed gas ties with Russia and an end to further military aid to Ukraine, positions at odds with Meloni’s support for the European Union’s backing of Kyiv. Fabrizio Masia, who leads polling firm EMG, said a wider agenda could help Vannacci rebuild support; he also said the 2027 contest would be driven by Italy’s two main alliances. The election is due in 2027.
