MEP Vannacci under fire after posting AI-generated photo of female politician shirtless

ROME - Days after saying he prefers women “skirtless”, far-right politician and MEP Roberto Vannacci has come under fire again for posting an AI generated photo of Forza Italia’s undersecretary, Matilde Siracusano, shirtless on his social media. In original photo, Siracusano is wearing a white shirt under a colourful blazer. However, the AI generated photo shows her wearing the blazer without a shirt underneath and instead considerable AI-generated cleavage is on display. The photo, published ahead of elections in Reggio Calabria, depicts Siracusano sitting next to senator Claudio Lotito and centre-right politician Fabio Roscioli, all with forks in hand poised to eat a cake which has the word “Calabria” written on it. Siracusano is the partner of the Calabrian regional president, Roberto Occhiuto, with whom she shares a child. Siracusano said she was left “speechless” by the fake photo, condemning it as “a deplorable action” which shows Vannacci “want to normalise the belittlement of women.” This photo comes days after Vannacci said he prefers women “skirtless”, before calling women “fragile creatures.” “The last thing I imagined was to find myself on his social media page shirtless,” Siracusano continued. “What’s most frightening is that a political leader posted that image [as part of a trend] that seeks to objectify and humiliate women.” The reasoning behind the photo is supposed to be an attempt from Vannacci to gain votes ahead of the regional election and discredit Occhiuto. Siracusano hit out at this, labelling Vannacci’s actions and beliefs as belonging to “the Stone Age.” She warned the centre-right against a coalition with Vannacci, which she labelled “impossible” and “would take us back to the caves.” Leader of Forza Italia, Antonio Tajani, who had come under fire earlier this week for comments about judging women’s suitability for marriage based on skirt length criticised Vannacci’s actions as “vulgar and unacceptable.” He added “it reveals the lock of political substance on the part of those concocted it […] it is a classic example of a moralist without morals.” Vannacci defended himself as having taken the photo from a Calabrian blog and told those accusing him of using AI to do their “research more thoroughly.” khg