Milestone: Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government becomes Italy’s longest-lasting since WWII
Milestone: Meloni's Government Tops Italy's Postwar Longevity Record
Poinews.com – Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition crossed a historic milestone on Friday, outlasting every Italian government formed since the Second World War. At 1,413 days in office, the administration surpassed by a single day the longest uninterrupted tenure of Silvio Berlusconi across his four separate spells as prime minister. For a republic that has churned through roughly 70 cabinets in the eight decades since 1945, the milestone is more than a calendar curiosity; it lands just months before the 2027 general election and reshapes how both allies and opponents frame the coming contest.
Meloni, Italy's first female head of government, took office in late 2022 at the head of a three-party alliance. Within her own party, Brothers of Italy (FdI), the longevity record is celebrated as proof of governing stamina. Marco Osnato, a senior FdI lawmaker, put the sentiment in blunt terms:
"It is certainly a point of pride."
That internal confidence collides with a public mood that has shifted noticeably since the coalition last won a full electoral mandate. Polling still favours FdI, yet the margin has narrowed, and the milestone now functions less as a triumph than as a deadline: voters are asking what four years of stability actually delivered.
A Referendum Wound and Unmet Pledges
The most visible crack appeared this year at a national referendum on judicial reform, where Meloni's preferred package was rejected. Lorenzo Pregliasco of the YouTrend polling institute read the result as a signal that "there may be an alternative majority" willing to unseat the current governing bloc. The setback did more than dent morale; it reopened questions about the administration's broader legislative output.
The justice overhaul — designed to widen the prime minister's prerogatives and grant Italian regions greater autonomy — was one of three flagship commitments made at coalition formation in 2022. It remains undelivered. Chiara Braga, who heads the centre-left Democratic Party's parliamentary group, extended the critique well beyond the courts:
"This stability was not capitalised upon. It did not lead to any significant improvement in people's living standards or business competitiveness."
Economic Stagnation Against Fiscal Discipline
The macro numbers sharpen the sceptics' argument. Italy's GDP is projected to grow by just 0.6 per cent in 2026, and real wages have been essentially flat since the early 1990s. Unemployment has slipped from above seven per cent to roughly five per cent over the past four years, yet the pool of economically inactive adults — capable of work but not actively seeking it — remains stubbornly large.
Tito Boeri, an economist at Bocconi University in Milan, compressed the opposition's economic grievance into a single line:
"This government has primarily sought to survive" by "doing as little as possible."
Government allies tell a different story. They credit the administration with cutting tax rates while simultaneously raising tax receipts, imposing fiscal discipline on a country whose public debt exceeds its annual GDP, and elevating Italy's diplomatic standing amid acute geopolitical strain. Osnato, speaking on foreign policy, framed the milestone in strategic terms:
"When it comes to foreign policy, Italy has never been so central, particularly in Europe."
He pointed to Rome's hardening of migration rules and its assertive energy-policy posture as evidence that the capital now acts as a driving force within Brussels rather than a passive follower.
The Vannacci Factor and Coalition Fractures
The most immediate electoral threat to Meloni's bloc, however, comes from within the right. Roberto Vannacci, a retired general who has built a following by attacking migrants and LGBTQ+ communities, launched the Futuro Nazionale party and now polls at approximately seven per cent. Should that figure hold or grow, Vannacci could position himself as a kingmaker in 2027, extracting concessions from whichever alliance emerges victorious.
The ruling coalition — which also encompasses Matteo Salvini's far-right League and the conservative Forza Italia — nonetheless retains structural advantages. Perennial infighting among left-leaning opposition parties, combined with a deepening culture of abstention, tilts the playing field. Turnout in the 2022 general election was already depressed, and demographic trends suggest the pattern will persist. Even so, the milestone that Meloni's government has now secured does not guarantee a repeat mandate; it merely extends the window in which voters can decide whether four years of continuity was worth the cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What milestone did Meloni's government reach in September 2026? Giorgia Meloni's coalition surpassed every postwar Italian government in duration, reaching 1,413 days in office — one day beyond Silvio Berlusconi's longest single tenure. The milestone made her administration Italy's longest-lasting cabinet since the Second World War.
How long has Giorgia Meloni served as prime minister? Meloni took office in late 2022, making her Italy's first female prime minister. By the time of the milestone in September 2026, she had led the same coalition for nearly four years.
When is Italy's next general election, and how might the milestone affect it? The next national ballot is scheduled for 2027. Analysts expect the longevity record to sharpen Meloni's public image as a stabilising figure, though a referendum defeat on judicial reform and the rise of Roberto Vannacci's Futuro Nazionale party (polling near seven per cent) introduce significant uncertainty into the contest.