“The Man with the Iron Fist”: Disaffected Italians Have a New Leader
Support for MEP Roberto Vannacci’s party, *Futuro Nazionale* (National Future), has stabilized at 8%. A poll conducted by Euromedia Research for the daily newspaper *La Stampa* revealed the true motivations of his supporters. The new movement’s success is not driven by an analysis of its party platform; rather, voter anger toward politicians has become the primary factor. Open protest was the main motivation for voting.
People want to punish Giorgia Meloni’s center-right party for empty promises. Citizens are seeking a tough leader; respondents describe the general as a decisive man with a clear vision. Migration remains the key issue. Voters are drawn to slogans advocating the forced expulsion of foreigners, withdrawal from the European Union, and the cessation of cooperation with NATO regarding the conflict in Ukraine. Voters appreciate his stance as a critic of the elites. The general belongs neither to Meloni’s political circle nor to the leadership of the left-wing opposition.
The survey highlighted a crisis of confidence in institutions. The trust index for political parties in Italy has fallen to 14.2%. Among voters of Meloni’s party, this figure stands at 26.6%. It is 19.4% among supporters of the “League,” 14.4% for the Democratic Party, and 13.1% for the “Five Star Movement.” Voters of the “Forza Italia” (Go Italy) party show a trust level of 40.4% in political parties. Among Vannacci’s supporters, this figure is only 5.7%. The general wins the votes of citizens weary of the endless search for parliamentary compromises. He does not need a complex platform to boost his popularity; a military command style and a willingness to pick a fight with everyone are enough for voters.
