Political influencers: 41 per cent of Italians consider them dangerous. Here’s who they are

‘They are dangerous, they fuel extremism amongst young people and often incite violence. Those who behave in this way should be stopped.’ This is what 40.9 per cent of Italians think of political influencers, according to a survey by Termometro Politico. The views of a further 34.5 per cent of the population are less clear-cut, but the assessment remains negative: whilst acknowledging that the work of some of them is of ‘good quality’, the majority ‘stir up the public to gain more success’, exacerbating the tensions that divide the various political camps. From those fighting for civil rights to those travelling around Italia highlighting urban decay, the range of ‘political’ influencers is truly broad and varied.

75 per cent of citizens – that is, three in four – therefore regard the spread of this phenomenon as a risk to the health of public debate. This view cuts across the electorate as a whole, regardless of political affiliation. Despite this, content creators who cover current affairs on social media are followed by hundreds of thousands of people and are exerting an ever-greater influence on how people vote.

However, the Termometro Politico survey paints a picture of a veritable landslide against the sector. Only 6 per cent view this new development as very positive and believe it facilitates young people’s involvement in politics, reaching ‘an audience that traditional politicians cannot reach’. For almost 11 per cent of those surveyed, however, the view is more positive than negative, albeit with reservations: the phenomenon represents a broadening of the media offering, but it is necessary to ‘keep a watchful eye on any violent messages’.

The accusation most frequently levelled at some of these ‘political’ influencers is precisely that they are pushing young people towards increasingly extreme views. In particular, there are numerous content creators who, through their videos, highlight situations of urban decay and accuse migration policies of making city streets increasingly unsafe. Among the best known is Massimiliano Zossolo, founder of the Instagram page ‘Welcome to favelas’, on which videos depicting brawls, thefts and accidents are posted. Appearing as a guest on the Cartabianca talk show in December 2025, Zossolo stated that ‘we have imported social groups from the Third World and today we have Third World problems’ and that these groups ‘do not assimilate into our culture’.

Many other influencers have joined this trend, from Rome-based Simone Carabella to Ferenc Venturelli. Muslims are often the target of their controversial content. Carabella recently came to the attention of the wider public when, in a park in Mestre, he interrupted a large group of worshippers who were praying by singing the Italian national anthem – a gesture that earned him a six-month ban from the area. Venturelli, known on social media as ‘Eterno’, even tore up and set fire to a copy of the Qur’an in a video accompanied by the phrase ‘let’s save Italia from Islamic extremism’.