Thousands demonstrate in Rome for "remigration and reconquest" – Vannacci founds new right-wing party

The demonstration had been called by, among others, far-right groups. Representatives of the neo-fascist movement CasaPound also took part in the demonstration. Its spokesperson Luca Marsella said, according to Italian media, that they wanted to "get rid of irregular migrants and also regular ones, because we are not politically correct." Some participants raised their right arms in the fascist salute and shouted "Duce! Duce!" – a reference to fascist dictator Benito Mussolini (1883–1945).

The demonstration moved slowly through the Prati district under a heavy police presence. Every side street was blocked by police vehicles, with helicopters and drones circling overhead. In front of the Colosseum, participants in a counter-demonstration gathered and displayed a banner reading "Fuck remigration."

Founding congress of Futuro Nazionale

At the same time, the founding congress of the new right-wing party Futuro Nazionale (National Future), led by former army general and politician Roberto Vannacci, was held in Rome. About 1,500 delegates attended the event. On Sunday, the congress was to continue and conclude with a speech by Vannacci.

Vannacci rose to prominence in the right-wing camp with statements against migrants and homosexuals, among other things. In his book "Il mondo al contrario" ("The World Upside Down"), he claimed, among other things, that minorities had established a dictatorship. Meloni sharply rejected the accusations.

Competition for Meloni and Salvini

At the beginning of the year, Vannacci left the right-wing populist Lega party of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in a dispute. Since then, the party had gained almost 100,000 paying members, Vannacci said. In polls, the movement – which also maintains ties with the AfD – currently stands at around four percent. According to surveys, Vannacci's party could receive 4.5 percent of the vote, most of it from previous Lega voters.

Vannacci described his movement as the "true right" and accused Meloni's government of pursuing too soft a policy. This means the governing party Fratelli d'Italia and its coalition partners face further competition from within their own camp ahead of next year's parliamentary election. Meloni has been in government with a right-wing coalition for more than three and a half years.

Reactions and European context

Vannacci said: "We are not ashamed to say it, and I even ask you to say it too: Italy to the Italians!" He also declared: "Früher durfte man das Wort Remigration nicht sagen, jetzt sagen sie uns, man könne es nicht machen, weil man keine Staatsbürgerschaft entziehen könne."

Italian opposition MP Angelo Bonelli spoke of "abscheulichen Parolen" and accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of remaining silent. Since this week, the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) has been in force, which newly regulates the return of rejected asylum seekers.

The events in Rome shed light on the intensification of the migration policy debate in Italy and on the growing fragmentation of the right-wing camp ahead of next year's parliamentary election.