Italy’s pro-Russian League splits as Vannacci launches ‘National Future’

Roberto Vannacci’s break from Matteo Salvini’s League to form a new far-right movement exposes deepening ideological divisions over Russia and Ukraine within Italy’s governing coalition.

Italy’s right-wing political landscape has entered another turbulent phase after Roberto Vannacci officially broke ranks with the far-right League, led by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. The rupture, confirmed on Tuesday, exposes deep ideological fractures within the party and signals a potential realignment further to the right of Italian politics.

Vannacci, a controversial MEP known for his hardline nationalist positions and pro-Russian rhetoric, announced his intention to launch a new political project called National Future. In a post on the social platform X, he framed the move as both personal and ideological, declaring he was “following my dream and moving far away.” The short and symbolic message resonated strongly within Rome’s already turbulent political landscape.

Break that had been brewing for months

The split followed a League council meeting and a late-night private discussion between Salvini and Vannacci on Monday. According to reporting by Politico, the talks failed to bridge the growing gap between Salvini’s more pragmatic leadership and a radical faction spearheaded by Vannacci.

Inside the League, Vannacci had become the figurehead of a group openly critical of the governing coalition led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The differences were most evident in foreign policy, specifically in Italy’s backing of Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

While the League formally backs the coalition line, dissent has been simmering. Vannacci’s camp argued that military and financial aid to Kyiv damages Italian interests and risks prolonging conflict, language that resonated with parts of the party’s base but alarmed coalition partners.

Salvini pushes back, loyalty questioned

Salvini moved quickly to frame the departure as an issue of loyalty rather than ideology. In a public statement, he reminded observers that the League had supported Vannacci when others distanced themselves, offering him prominent roles and electoral visibility.

“Being part of a party, a community, or a family means not only receiving but also working, sacrificing, and, above all, remaining loyal,” Salvini wrote. He acknowledged that “quarrels, problems, and tensions” had marked recent months, a rare admission that internal cohesion had already been fraying.

The tone was restrained, but the message was clear. The League leadership sees Vannacci’s exit as a self-chosen rupture, not a purge. Still, the optics suggest something deeper: a party struggling to balance government responsibility with a restless, more radical flank.

National Future and the risk of fragmentation

The founder of Vannacci’s new project, National Future, describes it as sitting further right than the League. While details remain vague, the name alone hints at a platform built around uncompromising nationalism, scepticism of NATO-aligned foreign policy, and resistance to the EU’s consensus on Ukraine.

What remains uncertain is how many lawmakers or activists will follow him. Several Italian MPs known to be close to Vannacci are now under scrutiny, with Rome’s political class watching for signs of defections. Even a small exodus could weaken the League’s parliamentary leverage and complicate Salvini’s role within Meloni’s coalition.

There is also the broader electoral question. Fragmentation risks diluting rather than expanding Italy’s already crowded right wing. Yet history suggests that splinter movements can shift discourse, even without immediate electoral success.

Ukraine, Russia, and a persistent flashpoint

The Ukraine issue sits at the heart of this rupture. In November, Salvini himself raised eyebrows by claiming that further assistance to Ukraine could “fuel corruption”, a remark that drew criticism from allies and partners.

Earlier, his calls for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to “sign a peace agreement as soon as possible”, choosing “between defeat and destruction”, prompted a formal response from Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry. These comments underscored how sensitive the issue remains within Italian politics, even among parties nominally aligned with Kyiv.

Vannacci’s exit now sharpens that debate, pulling it out of internal meetings and into the open political arena.

What comes next for Italy’s right wing

For Salvini, the challenge is containment. For Vannacci, it is credibility and scale. For Meloni, quietly, it is stability. Italy’s governing coalition survives on careful balance, and any shift on the right reverberates across parliament.

Whether National Future becomes a genuine political force or a loud but limited protest movement is still unclear. What is certain is that Italy’s right wing, once unified by opposition, is now wrestling with the responsibilities and contradictions of power.