Vannacci: 'My party? Not a hypothesis of today'

'The party is another invention of the left-wing press, but I never exclude anything'. And again: 'I am in the League today. Whoever conglomerates around me is because they share what I say and therefore share the fact that I am in the League'. Those who expected General Vannacci to say a definitive word on his political intentions were disappointed. All the more so since he manifests loyalty to the executive: 'the government is fine and will last the entire legislature, go ahead and rot'. If a split is to be, in short, it is not around the corner. Although when the journalist talking to Vannacci asks if the audience is ready for the new party, the answer is in unison: 'yes'.

But the two-day event organised in Viterbo to celebrate the MEP elected in Strasbourg with 560,000 preferences was an opportunity to understand what is moving around the general. There were few X Mas symbols around. But also no League flags. Because the party is all and only for him. Something more than a party, perhaps. In the air and in the speeches one breathes a certain cult of personality. Which goes beyond the sale of books ('The World Reversed' and 'Courage Wins') and T-shirts. We are in the congress hall of the Salus Terme hotel (indoor location changed in the rush to avoid the pouring rain), about 300 seats, in Viterbo, stronghold city of the general, who in Tuscia during the European elections has collected 5 thousand preferences, out of 10 thousand total votes that went to the Carroccio in whose ranks he stood as an independent candidate. No more than a hundred people attended the initial speeches. But when 'he' arrived to close the kermesse, the hall was packed.

Speaking on the second and final day were, among others, the former mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno, who defined Vannacci as 'the great novelty of Italian politics', and some former Lega senators, among the most convinced sponsors of the party project, such as Vito Comencini ('it is increasingly difficult for Vannacci to remain in the narrow path of the League') and Edouard Ballaman ('he needs to move freely'). But the convention is above all an opportunity to publicise the two associations that have sprung up in support of the MEP's adventure. The first one, 'Noi con Vannacci', is led by ex-League senator Umberto Fusco, 'deus ex machina' of the event. Founder of Salvinism in Tuscia, when the Vannacci phenomenon emerged Fusco reproposed the scheme and 'Noi con Salvini' became 'Noi con Vannacci'. The second is 'Il Mondo al contrario' (from the title of the best seller), chaired by Lieutenant Colonel on leave Fabio Filomeni, which will turn into a political committee in November.

One passage in his speech is on the war in Ukraine. "I am not a pacifist. But after two years of war the results on the ground in Ukraine are not visible. Does anyone ask the question? If we have to bring NATO into the conflict, should we try other methods to find a solution? This is not a problem of ideology. If war were convenient, fine: it is the continuation of politics by other means. But I repudiate war, because I have waged it'. The general then defended the European Parliament's vote against the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine on Russian territory. "We do not want," he added, "armaments to be used on Russian territory. Let us not spiral the conflict'. Vannacci then defended Viktor Orban.