Caio Mussolini, the great-grandson of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, has publicly shifted his political support from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to a more hardline right-wing candidate, Roberto Vannacci, ahead of Italy’s upcoming elections next year. Caio Mussolini, who previously stood as a candidate for Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party and briefly served as her adviser, criticized Meloni for adopting what he describes as a moderate stance that leaves a political space open on the right.

Vannacci, a former special forces general, is currently polling at around 8 percent and leads a platform that extends beyond Meloni’s framing of migration issues. While Meloni has called for stopping illegal immigration, Vannacci advocates for the "remigration" of migrants already residing in Italy. He has also proposed a return to what he terms a “Mediterranean patriarchy,” emphasizing traditional family roles with men as protectors of women, a concept he defended as a longstanding societal model.

In addition to his stance on migration and family values, Vannacci calls for ending Italy’s aid to Ukraine and seeks closer trade relations with Russia. This position contrasts with Meloni’s policy, which supports Ukraine, but it resonates with sections of the Italian electorate concerned about fuel prices and economic challenges, as Vannacci and Caio Mussolini argue that resources should be focused on domestic issues rather than foreign aid.

Caio Mussolini has been vocal in aligning with Vannacci’s policies, saying they are pragmatic and “more necessary than ever.” He criticized Meloni’s recent announcements to ban the burqa and limit the number of foreign children in schools as attempts to compete politically but unlikely to halt Vannacci’s rise. Mussolini predicts Vannacci’s support will grow exponentially by attracting both right-wing voters and those disillusioned with traditional politics, including many nonvoters.

Vannacci’s National Future party held a conference in Orvieto, central Italy, where he received endorsement from Marc Jongen, a member of the European Parliament representing Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party. This support underscores the broader right-wing alliances forming across Europe.

Caio Mussolini’s background includes a naval career as a submarine commander and political candidacy for the Brothers of Italy party in the 2019 European elections, in which he did not secure a seat. In 2025, he published a book defending his great-grandfather’s legacy, controversially arguing that Benito Mussolini was not antisemitic despite the regime’s 1938 racial laws that marginalized Jewish Italians.

The Italian election campaign now features a clear split within the right, with Meloni positioning herself as a relatively moderate force compared to Vannacci’s more extreme platform. Whether this dynamic will significantly reshape Italy’s political landscape remains to be seen as voters consider the competing visions presented by these figures.