New Delhi, June 16 -- In a packed auditorium in Rome on Sunday, a former Italian army general known to supporters as "Il Generale" rallied followers of his fledgling party, casting himself as an outsider reshaping Italy's right and challenging Premier Giorgia Meloni.

Roberto Vannacci 's "National Future" party is injecting uncertainty into the conservative bloc that has underpinned Meloni's government, exposing tensions ahead of the 2027 general election.

Meloni's party has its roots in fascism and she campaigned as an EU-skeptic, prompting analysts to speculate she would be a hard-line nationalist if elected. Instead, she has been a pragmatic conservative leader with a more moderate, pro-European approach, which also ensured a period o...