Italy's Meloni sets post-war longevity record as stability debate grows

Giorgia Meloni's government has become Italy's longest-serving uninterrupted administration since World War II. The milestone boosts her stability pitch, but debate is sharpening over whether it delivered enough to win again.Image used for representational purposes onlyItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's conservative administration on Thursday became Italy's longest-serving uninterrupted government since World War II, completing 1,413 days in office and moving past the record set by the late Silvio Berlusconi between 2001 and 2005. In a country known for short-lived governments, the milestone has strengthened Meloni's claim of political stability ahead of the next election, due by the end of 2027.But as Meloni and her party prepare to mark the moment with a large pre-election rally in Bari on Friday, the political debate is centred less on whether she can govern and more on whether her government has delivered enough to win another term. "If you have five years in office and not much to show when you go back to voters, it can weigh against you," said Nathalie Tocci, an international relations expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University.When Meloni took office in October 2022, she became Italy's first woman prime minister. Her government was also the first led by a party with neo-fascist roots, prompting unease among European allies and financial markets. Since then, she has largely governed in a practical manner, keeping steady support for Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion, working within European institutions and maintaining fiscal discipline. Her ties with US President Donald Trump also became a notable foreign policy asset. While political instability has reshaped governments elsewhere in Europe, including the United Kingdom and France, Meloni has kept the same coalition in place since taking office, something rare in modern Italian politics.Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Meloni's staying power reflected her working style. "Meloni has reaped a part of what she sowed, because I know few people so determined, so hardworking, so precise, so meticulous, who have sacrificed both their human and private spheres in order to serve the institutions," he told The Associated Press. "For this she is now reaping exactly what she deserves in terms of international credibility," he said, before adding, "She is not reaping the same on the Italian level." Crosetto also said, "Duration is not synonymous with results ... but these are important ones." Supporters point to tighter public finances, the rollback of costly measures, more than 1 million additional jobs, unemployment below 6 per cent and a sharp fall in the arrival of migrants. Meloni has said her government created 1.2 million stable jobs and brought overall and youth unemployment to historic lows. "The government's strategy has focused on supporting those who create wealth and jobs we have reached a record high in employment," she said at a recent labour event. Critics, however, say many of Italy's long-running problems remain unresolved. Weak productivity, demographic decline and inefficiencies in healthcare, education and public administration have largely not been addressed, they say. Political analyst and pollster Lorenzo Pregliasco said, "The Meloni government has been certainly stable and long-running, but it hasn't achieved much in terms of structural reforms." Opposition leaders have argued that the government has not found concrete ways to drive long-term growth beyond controlling public debt and state deficits. Former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, who leads the Five Star Movement and could be a rival at the polls, pointed to rising living costs, saying, "The government is celebrating, but Italians are not."Some of Meloni's strongest gains are seen abroad. Stefano Manzocchi, an international economics expert and professor at Rome's LUISS University, said, "Italy has somewhat lost its role as Europe's black sheep." Her shift from nationalist outsider to European leader has reassured investors and fellow European leaders. That balancing act was visible during recent tensions with Trump after he said she had "begged" him for a photograph at a Group of Seven summit in France. Meloni replied, "Italy doesn't beg." The response won support among some Italians who saw it as proof that she could maintain ties with Washington while publicly defending Italy and Europe. "I like Meloni, I like her character because she is authoritative and doesn't let anyone walk on her," said David Del Sarto, a 52-year-old taxi driver in Rome. At the same time, Meloni faces pressure from the right. Tocci said that by combining nationalist positions on migration and identity with tactical skill, Meloni helped speed up the mainstreaming of Europe's hard right. Her supporters say that shows nationalist conservatives can govern responsibly while staying committed to democratic institutions and Western alliances. Others see her more mainstream approach as a liability. Retired army General Roberto Vannacci, known for his hard-line stand on immigration and national identity, has launched his own political party and could challenge Meloni by drawing away conservative voters and lawmakers who believe she moderated too much in pursuit of stability. As she heads towards the next election, Meloni has already broken one Berlusconi-era record and is now chasing another milestone he never secured: a full uninterrupted five-year term under a single government.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 3, 2026 11:22 IST