Roberto Vannacci, leader of Futuro Nazionale, has sparked a political storm at Palazzo Madama after declaring that, given the choice between a woman in a long skirt or a short skirt, he would always prefer "a woman without a skirt." The remark, made during an interview with Sky TG24, came as a riposte to an earlier controversy involving Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who had linked skirt length to female reliability.
A 'light' answer with heavy consequences
Vannacci framed his comment as a quip. "Since the question was light, I answer in an equally light way," he told the broadcaster. He later defended himself in a press conference, stating that he is not a "prude" and that no single garment defines or classifies a woman. He also clarified on social media that a woman without a skirt "could be wearing trousers."
The reaction was immediate. Vannacci posted images of classical statues, including the semi-nude Venere di Milo and Venere di Candia, captioning them: "I love women, gift of the universe." The gesture did little to quell the criticism. Giulia Bongiorno of the Lega took a clear distance, warning that Vannacci, who had previously denied the existence of femicide, "has now chosen to intervene with a joke about nudity. There is nothing to laugh about, there is cause for concern."
Opposition senators stage wardrobe protest
In response, female senators from the opposition parties — the Democratic Party (PD), Italia Viva (IV), the Green and Left Alliance (AVS), the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the Autonomie group — gathered in the Senate's Transatlantico hall. The protest, organised by IV group leader Raffaella Paita, saw the legislators pose for photographs wearing skirts and miniskirts.
"This is a gesture of freedom to say that we are free to dress as we want," Paita told reporters. "We believe that women's freedom is measured by any gesture of freedom, including the length of a skirt, without being judged by men."
Alessandra Maiorino of the M5S arrived late to the photo call, joking about her own attire: "Forgive me, but at least I am more reliable" — a direct reference to Tajani's earlier comments on reliability. Inside the chamber, Senate President Ignazio La Russa initially tried to defer the debate but relented, granting each group time to speak on the matter after the issue was raised.
A divided chamber
The debate exposed a clear split in Italian politics. Simona Malpezzi of the PD denounced what she called "an intrinsic and unconscious patriarchy", arguing that while Tajani had apologised, his justification was "even worse." Julia Untenberger of the Autonomie group added that Tajani had spoken with "stereotypes from the 1950s, defining women in relation to men."
The centre-right mounted a counter-attack. Stefania Pucciarelli of the Lega challenged the opposition: "Why don't you fight for women prisoners of their husbands, slaves to polygamy? Come with us to fight against the burqa." Elena Leonardi of Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) noted the silence from the left when sexist language was directed at the Prime Minister.
Broader political fallout
The controversy coincided with Futuro Nazionale welcoming its ninth deputy, Tommaso Calderone, a Sicilian politician who defected directly from Forza Italia. Vannacci celebrated the arrival by welcoming him to "the handful, the dregs," noting that the party's nine deputies now matched the "circles of hell."
Criticism of Vannacci's words crossed party lines. Action leader Carlo Calenda branded him "the national troglodyte," while Nicola Fratoianni of AVS called it "the regression to the animal state of politics." Luca Ciriani, a minister in the Meloni government, remarked that Vannacci "is doing everything to exclude himself from our possible coalition."
Ilaria Cavo of the Noi Moderati party offered a biting assessment: "Vannacci's vulgarity would make Mago Oronzo look like a refined intellectual."
