Italy's far right has staged a dramatic show of force, with thousands marching in Rome for mass deportations of migrants and the launch of a new nationalist party led by former general Roberto Vannacci. The twin events on Saturday underscored a growing radicalisation of the country's political fringe, as Vannacci's Futuro Nazionale held its founding assembly in a Vatican-adjacent venue while a separate rally demanding "remigration" drew some 3,000 to 4,000 participants. The protests, organised by the committee Remigrazione e Riconquista and backed by neo-fascist groups like CasaPound, saw participants chanting fascist slogans and making the Roman salute, with some calling for the expulsion not only of undocumented migrants but also of legal residents deemed insufficiently integrated.

Vannacci, a former paratrooper general who rose to prominence with a self-published book full of racist and homophobic tirades, used his party's debut to rail against political correctness and the mainstream media. He read out a prayer of the French paratroopers, urged the crowd to chant "Italy for the Italians", and sarcastically thanked journalists like Corrado Formigli and Sigfrido Ranucci for giving his movement free publicity. The party, which analysts say draws support from disaffected Lega voters, former Five Star Movement sympathisers, and the abstentionist pool, is already polling at around 4-5%, enough to potentially split the right-wing vote and threaten Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition. Viewed from Rome, the emergence of Futuro Nazionale represents a direct challenge to Meloni's Brothers of Italy, which has governed for over three years but is now accused by Vannacci of betraying its hardline promises.

The "remigration" rally, which culminated in a fascist salute and cries of "Duce!", was met by a counter-demonstration of 15,000 to 20,000 antifascist protesters who marched from the Colosseum under banners reading "Fuck remigration". The counter-protest, organised by a broad coalition of left-wing and student groups, denounced the normalisation of racist rhetoric and called for solidarity with migrants. The polarisation was stark: in the Prati district, black-clad activists waved tricolours and shouted "Where are the antifascists?", while at the Colosseum, crowds chanted "Rome is an antifascist city". The day's events also included a separate Pro Vita rally and student protests, making for a deeply divided capital.

Looking ahead, Vannacci's movement poses a dilemma for Meloni, who has sought to project moderation in government while her base drifts further right. The general's explicit call for ethnic nationalism and his willingness to borrow from the playbook of Germany's AfD, with whom he has contacts, signals a potential realignment of Europe's far right. Analysts in Berlin and Paris are watching closely, as the success of Futuro Nazionale could embolden similar forces elsewhere. For now, Italy's political landscape is more fragmented than ever, with the centre-right coalition facing a rebellion from its own flank and the left struggling to channel antifascist energy into electoral gains. The coming months will test whether Vannacci can translate street theatre into parliamentary seats, or whether the establishment will absorb his challenge as it has done with previous populist surges.