Giorgia Meloni has become Italy's longest-serving Prime Minister since the country became a republic in 1946, as she kicks of her campaign for next year's elections.
She was sworn in 1,413 days ago, in a country under deep economic pressures where the 67 previous governments lasted barely a year on average. The forecast when Ms Meloni took power was that “we’d last six months at most, that the financial storm would come and Italy would go into default,” she said in 2024. “Then they woke up sweaty.”
Ms Meloni's run is one day more than Silvio Berlusconi's longest-serving government in the early 2000s. Collectively, he served longer after being elected three times.
Her Brothers of Italy Party, which is still the country's most popular political force, is holding a celebratory rally in the southern city of Bari on Friday.
President Sheikh Mohamed praised Ms Meloni's leadership and her contribution to Italy’s continued development and the prosperity of its people. The UAE President also reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to strengthening ties with Italy.
“Building upon our longstanding ties of co-operation and friendship, we remain committed to further deepening the UAE-Italy strategic partnership in service of the progress of our nations and peoples,” Sheikh Mohamed wrote on his official X account.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his "friend", saying the milestone was a "reflection of the trust and confidence of the Italian epople in her leadership".
The leader of the British Conservative party Kemi Badenoch, who met Ms Meloni last month, also congratulated her.
"Giorgia Meloni now leads Italy’s longest-serving government since the Second World War. A remarkable achievement for a woman written off by many when she came on the scene," Ms Badenoch posted on X. "She’s shown what conviction, clarity and the courage to stand your ground can achieve. A real inspiration!"
Good relations
Ms Meloni, who came to politics aged 15 on the fringes of the far-right, is known for building effective relationships in deeply unstable times. Her support for Ukraine put her at odds with other far-right governments but improved relations with Brussels.
Her opposition to dragging Europe into the US-Iran war has led to a public fallout with American President Trump in recent months. In April, Ms Meloni suspended the automatic renewal of a defence agreement with Israel due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Her tough policies on migration have seen her make controversial deals with Albania and Libya, among others. Other European leaders, including the UK's former prime minister Keir Starmer, attempted to strike similar arrangements with less success. Ms Meloni's government also increased visas for overseas workers to address workforce shortages.
Opposition critics say that her focus on security and cultural values has led her to neglect the Italian economy, which is one of the slowest growing in Europe. This year’s growth is forecast at between 0.5 per cent and 0.8 per cent, while the public debt ratio has risen from 134 to 138 per cent of GDP, according to the IMF
This is partly why Ms Meloni faces challenges at the ballot next year. The far-right Futuro Nazionale party, led by former army general Roberto Vannacci, has overtaken the co-ruling centre-right party Forza Italia in opinion polls, a survey showed on Tuesday, to become the country's fourth most popular political force only seven months after its launch.
Mr Vannacci broke away from the coalition's League (Lega) party, building a movement centred on fierce opposition to mass migration and the defence of what he describes as traditional values.
The latest survey by pollster SWG found that League's popularity was at 5.7 per cent, while Forza Italia was at 7.1 per cent, compared with 7.5 per cent for Futuro Nazionale. The findings broadly confirmed a survey published by pollster BiDiMedia at the end of August.
Meloni's Brothers of Italy party remains the country's most popular political force, with 26.8 per cent support, according to the SWG survey, but its backing has weakened in recent months.
It remains unclear whether Futuro Nazionale will eventually join Ms Meloni's coalition, an option that has so far received a lukewarm response from the alliance's leaders.
Ms Meloni has sought to push through electoral reform that opposition parties say is an attempt to improve her election prospects. The government rejects that criticism, saying the reform is intended solely to help ensure elections produce stable governments.
