Vannacci uses Dalla song Futura as anthem for his new far-right party.The family of the late Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla has objected to Roberto Vannacci's new far-right party, Futuro Nazionale, after Dalla's song Futura was used as the anthem for the movement during its founding assembly in Rome at the weekend.Dalla, who died in 2012, is best known internationally as the composer of Caruso, the 1986 hit which was subsequently covered by numerous artists such as Luciano Pavarotti and Julio Iglesias. Objection Daniele Caracchi of the Fondazione Lucio Dalla and Pressing Line, the singer's historic record label, said the family knew nothing in advance about Vannacci's use of the song, and were left taken aback by the news. Caracchi said the family disliked the idea of one of Dalla's songs and his image being used in political contexts, stressing that this had never been something they welcomed and that Dalla himself would certainly not have approved either. He appealed for this choice to be respected, describing Dalla as an apolitical figure, without political affiliation and entirely removed from such matters. Caracchi clarified that the objection was not specifically about Futuro Nazionale: he said the situation would have been no different had any other party used a Dalla song, since Dalla stood apart from partisan reasoning of any kind, regardless of which side it came from. Futura is widely regarded as a song about hope and life, written against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall dividing two lovers. On the question of rights, Caracchi said he considered it unlikely that Vannacci's party had paid to use the song, noting that anyone wishing to use it must go through the foundation, and that while no prior such episodes were known to them, the matter would be looked into further. Wider debate The controversy comes amid a wider row triggered by Vannacci, an army general turned political leader, who sparked outcry across Italy this week by claiming that femicide "does not exist" as a distinct crime. The remarks, made during the same Rome assembly at which Vannacci was confirmed as the party's president, drew widespread condemnation. Photo credit: Hari Seldon / Shutterstock.com

The family of the late Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla has objected to Roberto Vannacci's new , after Dalla's song Futura was used as the anthem for the movement during its founding assembly in Rome at the weekend. Dalla, , is best known internationally as the composer of Caruso, the 1986 hit which was subsequently covered by numerous artists such as Luciano Pavarotti and Julio Iglesias. Daniele Caracchi of the Fondazione Lucio Dalla and Pressing Line, the singer's historic record label, said the family knew nothing in advance about Vannacci's use of the song, and were left taken aback by the news. Caracchi said the family disliked the idea of one of Dalla's songs and his image being used in political contexts, stressing that this had never been something they welcomed and that Dalla himself would certainly not have approved either. He appealed for this choice to be respected, describing Dalla as an apolitical figure, without political affiliation and entirely removed from such matters. Caracchi clarified that the objection was not specifically about Futuro Nazionale: he said the situation would have been no different had any other party used a Dalla song, since Dalla stood apart from partisan reasoning of any kind, regardless of which side it came from. Futura is widely regarded as a song about hope and life, written against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall dividing two lovers. On the question of rights, Caracchi said he considered it unlikely that Vannacci's party had paid to use the song, noting that anyone wishing to use it must go through the foundation, and that while no prior such episodes were known to them, the matter would be looked into further. The controversy comes amid a wider row triggered by Vannacci, an army general turned political leader, who sparked outcry across Italy this week by claiming that  as a distinct crime. The remarks, made during the same Rome assembly at which Vannacci was confirmed as the party's president, drew widespread condemnation. Photo credit: Hari Seldon / Shutterstock.com