ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s defence minister ordered on Thursday disciplinary action against a top army general who has published a book in which he disparaged LGBT people, migrants, minorities and feminists.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto denounced Roberto Vannacci’s self-published book as “ramblings … that discredit the Army, the Defense Ministry and the Constitution”.
“For this reason, the foreseen disciplinary action will be initiated by the Defense Ministry,” he added.
Vannacci used to head Italy’s elite paratrooper unit, carried out missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was the Italian defence attache in Moscow from 2020 until last September, when he was expelled in the wake of the Ukraine war.
He was subsequently appointed to head Italy’s Military Geographic Institute.
Little known to the general public, he hit the headlines on Thursday when excerpts of his self-published book “The World Upside Down” appeared in the national press.
In his book he says homosexual men are not normal and claims there is an “international gay lobby” trying to brainwash the world. He also appears to question whether Black people can be Italian, referring to Paola Egonu, an Italian volleyball international born in Italy to Nigerian parents.
The Italian Army distanced itself from the book, saying it had not reviewed the text before it was published.
Centre-left opposition politicians called Vannacci’s sacking.
“It is serious and alarming that an army general in office publishes a political essay .. steeped in anti-democratic, racist, homophobic and misogynist language,” said Alessandro Zan, a lawmaker and prominent LGBTQ activist.
Vannacci told Ansa news agency that his words had been taken out of context and did not reflect what was written in his book.
(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Hugh Lawson)
