Giorgia Meloni is nearing her 3rd year as Prime Minister in Italy. This makes her one of the longest-serving leaders in the country’s history. In a time where governments are characterized by instability, quickly changing alliances, and short tenures, Meloni’s leadership is a breath of fresh air.
Meloni and her far-right alliance are facing new challenges in Italy
Her government has remained cohesive, and during her time in office, this has been one of the longest-lasting administrations in Italy in the last years.
If Meloni stays in office until October 2025, she will be alongside the country’s longest-serving leaders, Silvio Berlusconi and Alcide De Gasperi.
This is monumental because Italy has some of the highest records of political instability in the world. In the 67 years Italy has been a republic, there have been more than 60 governments, mostly due to the political leaders warring over ‘savvy and strategic’ leadership.
She does not pursue radical reforms, but rather, she aims to make small, incremental changes to keep institutions stable.
Meloni’s government is hesitant to embrace a ‘bold’ course of action
Italian business leaders and economists are encouraging her to take more decisive action by making changes to the labor market, tax, and public sector reforms, and to accelerate her overall economic reform.
For Meloni, though, the most important thing is to maintain the status quo. As a result of her stable approach, she has earned the inner circle’s unwillingness to make substantial changes.
Giorgia Meloni talks about legislative flexibility:
“If Parliament wants to discuss sensible solutions, for example, to improve the rigidity around citizenship applications for those turning 18, I’m open to it without prejudice – I am a person of common sense”
Her support remains unshakeable and is backed by her skills
She manages situations diplomatically and has a knack for keeping out of most controversies. Controversial referendums backed by the opposition came and went without any support, so Meloni is still untouched.
Meloni says:
“We don’t need to thank anyone and, we respond only to the Italian people, without comments, without slowness, and with a vision of the future.”
She has also been able to keep her far-right supporters in line and has been able to dominate rival Matteo Salvini.
Meloni has also taken steps to better align Italy with its partners in Europe and the rest of the Western world. She has kept a strong position on immigration and national sovereignty; however, she has steered clear of the Eurosceptic confrontations her party used to engage in.
Her stance on Ukraine and opposition to Russian threats has cemented her position in the Western world.
Stability is the new ideological purity, and Meloni is an example of new European leadership
The results of her leadership indicate that the voters are more concerned with competent management than with the promises of radical change.
Meloni’s popularity will depend on how well she handles high public debt along with slow-growing demographics. If the public issues are not tackled, it will define public sentiment, and the pressure will only increase with time.
Meloni’s third year in office is a historic turning point in not just her government but also in Italian politics.
In a nation synonymous with rampant political disarray and fireworks, Meloni has achieved what no other political head has done. The sense of coalition discipline, political instability, and pragmatic leadership has certainly changed the political landscape of what he public expects from a prime minister.
Most importantly, no one knows the real Meloni. Many questions remain unanswered. For now, Meloni’s wait-and-watch pattern of government is certainly more than just a departure from Italy’s norm; it will undoubtedly rank her in the upper echelons of the nation’s post-fascist political leadership.