Roberto Occhiuto rejects alliance with Vannacci to protect moderate voters

Roberto Occhiuto, Vice Secretary of Forza Italia and President of the Calabria region, has rejected the idea of an alliance with Roberto Vannacci's movement. In an interview, Occhiuto described the urge to follow Vannacci as a ‘strategic error,’ arguing that such a move would shift the center-right too far toward populism and cause the coalition to lose moderate and reformist voters.

Occhiuto compared Vannacci's political ambitions to the German AfD, suggesting he seeks to build a party by ‘speaking to the gut of the voters’ without offering real solutions. Instead, Occhiuto emphasized that the center-right already possesses a vital asset for upcoming elections in Giorgia Meloni.

Regarding the internal state of Forza Italia, Occhiuto praised Antonio Tajani's leadership following the passing of Silvio Berlusconi but questioned if the party has maintained its original liberal and innovative character. He also identified Marina Berlusconi as an important cultural reference and the ‘guardian of her father’s liberal and innovative spirit.’