Roberto Vannacci’s electoral campaign continues steaming. In Naples yesterday some scuffles broke out when groups of demonstrators attempted to prevent the meeting they tried to break through the police cordon around the InArte theater, on the seafront, where the general was presenting his second book. He thanked “the protesters, they give further prestige and importance to this event”.
Matteo Salviniin turn presenting his book in Foligno, does not seem worried: «Vannacci fought ISIS, he was in Iraq and Afghanistan, I don’t think he is afraid of a few democratic demonstrators in Naples».
On the one hand, the general seems delighted with the free publicity. However, yesterday the presentation of his second work at «Isola del libro Trasimeno» was postponed to a later date. Also in consideration, said the organizer Italo Marri, «of the concomitance with the European elections and his candidacy. Far be it from us to create electoral stands.” Vannacci observes: «Unfortunately it happens that in the democracy in which we live, i premises that host my presentations are even threatened. It happened in Cremona, in Verona, in Mantua.” In any case, the general yesterday reiterated some of the themes for which he is known: “I have never defined myself as anti-fascist because I don’t think it is useful to define oneself as such, the Constitution does not require one to call oneself anti-fascist.” But how does he define himself? «A libertarian, a traditionalist but also a futurist revolutionary».
But in the afternoon another piece of news starts to blow loudly. The general may not be a candidate in the central Italian constituency: he has served and, to some extent, is still serving in central Italy. In the territories, that is, in which he is a candidate. He falls from the clouds: «I don’t know anything about it and it’s not true. Nonsense. It doesn’t seem like it to me.”
According to Vannacci, in fact, it would be “a rule applicable to administrative elections, not European elections”. The general is perhaps not wrong. It can be read in a note from the Ministry of Defense released at the end of the day: «Without prejudice to the competence of the Ministry of the Interior regarding the eligibility of a candidate (any), the Ministry of Defense does not believe there have been violations of the military code» .
This is because according to art. 1485 of the Military Order Code (Com) «general officers, admirals and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the State, in the constituency of their territorial command, are not eligible». And this would not be the case. Furthermore, the following article of the Com specifies that «the cause of ineligibility does not take effect if the interested party ceases from his duties due to resignation, transfer, revocation of office or command, or placement on unpaid leave».
