Overview

• Simone Leoni labeled Lega MEP Roberto Vannacci “general of cowardice” during the Forza Italia Giovani congress on May 31, drawing immediate criticism.
• Silvio Leoni published an open letter on June 6 defending Vannacci and recounting their shared service in Somalia in 1993.
• Roberto Vannacci thanked Silvio Leoni for his defense and Matteo Salvini publicly endorsed the father’s rebuke of his son.
• Simone Leoni responded by forgiving his father, emphasizing he was raised on Christian and liberal values despite their personal estrangement.
• Observers say the family feud mirrors widening generational and ideological divides within Italy’s centre-right alliance