On Friday, at a rally in the southern Italian city of Bari, where he celebrated the improvement of the record for government longevity in republican Italy, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her ruling party “Brothers of Italy“ de facto the election campaign for next year's parliamentary elections has begun, summarize the world agencies Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Associated Press and DPA and Italian media, including ANSA, “Corriere della Sera“, “RAI News“, “TG Com 24“, “Sky TG 24“, “Manifesto“ and others.
The Italian Prime Minister's speech at the rally in Bari lasted an hour. Italian Deputy Prime Ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini, who are respectively leaders of Meloni's coalition partners - the center-right “Forza Italia“ and the far-right “Lega“, also joined the rally via videoconference. Among the guests of honor at the rally were representatives of Meloni's party, ministers, the president of the Italian Senate Ignazio La Russa, who is also from the “Brothers of Italy“, and Raffaele Fito, the Italian vice-president of the European Commission, sent by Meloni's government and also a representative of her party.
In her speech at the rally, Meloni highlighted the stability of her government, which as of Friday had marked 1,413 days in power. “Stability is the first major reform that we have given to our nation,“ said Meloni, quoted by ANSA, DPA, Reuters, AP and Agence France-Presse.
“Italy has ceased to be the country under special surveillance in Europe. "In the past, we were the ones who constantly changed governments," the Italian prime minister recalled, stressing that during international meetings in the past, Italy's partners had wondered how long the next Italian prime minister would last in power. "Anyone who is perceived in this way cannot negotiate, cannot defend their own interests," Meloni said, referring to Italy's frequent changes of government in the past. "With stability, one can determine decisions instead of passively accepting them; one can point the way," she pointed out. "Now that Italy sits down at a negotiating table, our nation is taken seriously," she stressed. "The battles that Italy lost in the past, it is now winning." "These are achievements that we want to leave to the Italian people, regardless of who wins the next elections," Meloni stressed, quoted by ANSA, Agence France-Presse and RAI News.
At the event in Bari, the Italian prime minister said that "the most stable government is not necessarily the most capable." "The most stable government is simply the government that has had more time than others to be evaluated, and that evaluation is you - with this presence and this enthusiasm," Meloni told jubilant right-wing supporters gathered in Bari, ANSA reported. She stressed that millions of Italians support her cabinet. “We should be proud of this - not the fact that we have been in power for 1,413 days, but the fact that we still have higher support than we had on the first day“, she added.
“We are not together to defeat the enemy. We are together to implement ideas. Whoever unites to implement ideas, after 1,413 days still has a list of things to do“, she emphasized, referring to the ruling coalition.
In her speech, Meloni mentioned that during her nearly four years in power, not everything has been easy for her government and listed some of the most important challenges facing it - from the chaos in the Middle East and the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz to the sharp rise in fuel prices to the war in Ukraine, the landslide on the island of Ischia, the floods in Emilia-Romagna, terrorism and the violence of child gangs in Italian cities. "Nothing was spared. But I say it only to remind each of us that a nation without government would have paid an extremely high price, the citizens would have paid it. Stability was not a whim, but a shield. Thanks to this stability, we protected this nation," Meloni stressed, quoted by ANSA.
She pointed out, using a typical Roman expression, that there were days when she felt like she was "swimming in glue." Swimming in glue is an expression commonly used when one wants to say that one feels trapped. However, Meloni added that in these particularly difficult situations she did not give up and has no intention of doing so now.
“I say to our political leadership that we must work harder and better, and to those who intend to hinder us, I say: “Make yourself comfortable - you do not understand who you are dealing with“, Meloni told her opponents, ANSA reported.
The government has kept “public finances in order“ and has done so “because we are true patriots, light years away from those who devastated state finances with measures like the Superbonus“, said the prime minister, referring to one of the emblematic measures of previous left-wing governments - the granting of huge state subsidies for the renovation of buildings, which, according to her, led to the squandering of billions of funds from the budget. The Superbonus is a measure in which the state returned 100 percent of the investment used to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and granted another 10 percent in the form of tax breaks for those who carried out such renovations. Thus, the Superbonus amounted to 110 percent on condition that the renovation of the building increased its energy efficiency by at least two degrees. This scheme, in which the renovation was entirely at the expense of the state, led to speculation and fraud. And the prices of construction materials rose and the measure cost the budget over 100 billion euros, instead of the originally planned only around 40 billion euros. With Meloni coming to power, her government began to gradually reduce the Superbonus from 110 percent to 65 percent, with this reduction being in effect for renovation projects that were already underway, and new projects stopped being accepted and the Superbonus program was effectively suspended.
Meloni also recalled that her government has now reduced excise taxes on fuel and promised other measures, which will, however, be targeted. “We cannot afford to spend money to give it to people who do not need it or who come to fill up with gas from France“, she said during the rally, ANSA reported.
Meloni stressed that her government had fought against US tariffs. She said that her government would now continue the fight against unnecessary Italian bureaucracy that hinders the work of Italian companies.
The Italian Prime Minister promised that the work on expanding the special economic zone in southern Italy would continue. Under this program, the government, together with large banking institutions and industrial confederations, is working, through investments amounting to tens of billions of euros in infrastructure, the green transition and strengthening the ties between the industrial north and the developing south, to transform southern Italy into a logistics hub for the Mediterranean.
Speaking about the development of the Italian south, in her speech Meloni also touched on the problem of the steel mill in Taranto, a city in the same Puglia region as Bari. The enterprise was prosperous in the past, and the economy of Taranto revolved around it. But the production process had a negative impact on the environment, and with the change of owners of the enterprise, it also led to a production crisis. On the day Meloni gave her victory speech in Bari, the first layoff orders began to be handed out at the plant. In her speech in Bari, Meloni acknowledged that the situation at the plant was one of the most complex and said that her government had made efforts and invested many resources to ensure that the plant could continue operating. She stressed that her government would continue to do so in collaboration with local authorities, trade unions and employers' associations. "Our goal is to protect public health, but also to preserve an important industrial heritage for Puglia and the entire nation," she stressed, but also acknowledged that there are people in the region who want the plant to close, driven by environmental concerns, and those who would like to develop its potential.
As for the reform of Italy's electoral law, Meloni said in her speech in Bari that her ruling majority has proposed changes through which, in the next parliamentary elections, as well as in all elections from now on, citizens will be able to choose the coalition, the program and the candidate for prime minister to be proposed to the president of the republic. The proposed changes also aim to ensure that whoever wins the elections has the necessary majority to govern for five years, without political upheavals and without backroom deals in the formation of governments. Here Meloni refers to the bonus of seats in both parliamentary chambers planned in the electoral reform for the winner of the elections, so that he has a stable majority in parliament.
On the migration issue during the rally in Bari, Meloni said that “migration is another example of how our positions, which were once criticized by our opponents, have now become part of the pan-European course“. Meloni defended her government's approach to limiting migration flows, citing specific measures as examples, including the controversial migration centers that Italy built in Albania. “Fighting human traffickers, stricter asylum procedures, faster deportations, a European list of safe countries, agreements with countries of origin and transit, the possibility of opening deportation centers outside the EU - that is, exactly what we did in Albania”, Meloni listed. “For years they called us extremists, and then they copied everything from us”, she added. “This is what it means to have weight in Brussels, this is what it means for the right to be heard and to have influence“, Meloni pointed out.
Speaking of the right and the left, Meloni said that “It is no coincidence that the three longest-ruling governments in the history of the Italian Republic have all been centre-right governments“.
She also made ironic attacks on the left-wing opposition in Italy, points out “Fato Quotidiato“. “It is clear that things were better when “they“ (the left) were in power. When they were here, the minimum wage was indeed minimal; when they were here, one could leave the front door open, because even if you locked it, someone would still occupy your home. How much we miss them“, Meloni said ironically addressing the left-wing opposition. “But they are also celebrating an achievement today, because if we are the longest-lasting government in the history of the Republic, they are the longest-lasting opposition in the history of the Republic. So let's wish all the best to our colleagues on the left - ten thousand more such days!“, she added.
On the topic of security, Meloni promised that new prisons will be built in Italy in order to deal with overcrowding in existing prisons, because, in her words, this problem cannot be solved only by amnesty and pardoning criminals, ANSA and the publication “Politicoweb“ indicate.
Regarding security, Meloni recalled that her government had adopted a number of decrees with measures against crime, but she announced few specific future measures in her speech, “Manifesto“ indicates. In this section of her speech, Meloni did not fail to attack the magistrates again. "Security is our guiding light, but all the links in the chain must function. If we create laws and judges release a rapist after 48 hours, then our work becomes useless," said Meloni. She was referring to a recent case that she had already commented on her social channels - that of a 13-year-old girl who went to buy snacks for her brothers in a minimarket on the outskirts of Turin and was sexually assaulted by a Bangladeshi vendor. The store's security cameras documented the assault. The perpetrator was arrested but released on bail by a judge because he expressed regret for the act, Italian media recall.
Regarding housing policy, Meloni recalled that her government is working to bring 100,000 affordable homes for young couples and working families onto the property market in the next 10 years, including the 60,000 municipal homes in which people have now illegally settled and will be evicted, recalls “Politicoweb“.
Regarding energy, Meloni stressed that the energy transition should not mean impoverishing families or closing factories, but energy autonomy and technological neutrality. “There is no point in buying oil from Qatar if we have it in Basilicata“, she said, referring to the presence of oil in this Italian region. She also announced an increase in the amount of crude oil that can be extracted in Italian territorial waters. Meloni recalled that her government had also ended a 40-year taboo by adopting the framework law on nuclear energy, approved by the Chamber of Deputies of Parliament in June, which will return the country to nuclear energy, which it abandoned after the Chernobyl accident and a referendum at the end of the last century. The first modular reactors in Italy are expected between 2034 and 2035. This is the most important choice for energy sovereignty made by parliament during this legislative term, notes “Politicoweb“.
Foreign policy occupied little space in Meloni's speech on Friday evening in Bari. Trump, with whom she recently had a falling out, was not even mentioned, notes “Manifesto“. And the war in Ukraine was only mentioned when Meloni was listing the difficulties her government has faced over the past four years.
The celebration of the longevity of Meloni's government attracted thousands of right-wing sympathizers from all over Italy to Bari. The event was organized at the port under tight security. There was a specially set up stage, lighting, music, stalls offering pancakes, Italian sandwiches and Bari's famous spaghetti al'assassina, whose name literally translates as Murderous spaghetti, which looks like it's been burned and is very spicy.
The atmosphere at the rally was like a concert, Meloni's name was chanted repeatedly like a rock star's while she delivered her speech. Meloni was also interrupted by a shout of "You are very beautiful" from the audience, Italian media noted.
During Meloni's speech, there was an unexpected situation. Her daughter Ginevra called on the phone and Meloni interrupted her speech, whispered to the little girl: "Honey, I'll call you later," and then apologized to the audience and said that Ginevra had called her three times during her speech and she had finally decided to pick up the phone, ANSA and Stampa reported.
After the speech, as she left the rally, Meloni was surrounded by fans who asked to take a selfie with her - a request she accepted. At one point, however, the selfie craze became so intense that Meloni got nervous and scolded her supporters to stop pushing, or she would leave immediately.
On the occasion of Meloni's record-breaking government, her supporters point to the creation of more than 1 million additional jobs, lower unemployment, tighter public finances and a decline in the number of illegal migrant arrivals as evidence that this unusual period of political continuity has brought tangible results to Italy, the Associated Press notes.
The government's record of longevity crowns a political transformation in which the Italian leader has gone from outsider to figure in the political establishment since becoming Italy's first female prime minister in 2022, the agency adds. Initially wary of some European allies and financial markets because of her party's neo-fascist roots, Meloni has supported Ukraine, worked within European institutions and built close ties with Western allies.
But critics say Italy's long-standing problems, including weak productivity growth, low wages and inefficiency in public services, remain largely unresolved, the Associated Press reported.
Meloni says political stability has reassured financial markets about how Italy is managing its public finances and its huge debt, which has helped reduce the cost of borrowing on government bonds. "Keeping public accounts in order means fewer restrictions. Those who keep their finances in order decide for themselves what to spend their money on," she told the rally. Analysts generally agree that Meloni's greatest achievement is restoring confidence in Italy's finances, but critics say too little has been done to reform the inefficient public administration, health care and education systems, Reuters reported.
The achievements of Meloni's government have been disputed by some analysts, and Agence France-Presse also noted. "The stability that Meloni praised at the rally is a tool, not a goal. The goal is economic growth, and that is not in sight," said Veronica De Santis, an economics professor at Rome's Guido Carli International Free University of Social Sciences. She added that the government lacks a long-term vision for economic policy.
The left-wing newspaper Repubblica admits that Meloni's government has managed to stabilize public finances and reduce the spread (the difference between the interest rates on German and Italian 10-year government bonds) from 233 basis points to 80.
„Stampa“ and „Corriere della Sera“ emphasize that Italy is an unwavering supporter of Ukraine, although on this issue Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has shown himself to be an opponent of military aid to Kiev.
The AGI agency points out that Meloni's government has adopted around 300 laws or government decrees in nearly four years, and very often in parliament they were also linked to a vote of confidence for the cabinet. Most of these laws concern security and immigration.
The center-left weekly “Espresso“ recalls that a poll by the “U Trend“ agency for “Sky TG 24“ on the work of Meloni's government showed that only 36 percent of Italians have confidence in the cabinet. For more than half of those surveyed, the longevity of the government is not necessarily a sign of the quality of its work and they say that what matters is the results achieved. The sharpest criticism of the respondents is directed at the course the country is taking. It is “wrong“ according to 53 percent of those surveyed and “correct“ according to 30 percent. Another 16 percent do not express an opinion. According to the poll, Italians also reject the results on the nine key files of the government's activities. The only relatively favorable assessments concern foreign policy and Italy's role on the international stage in general. It is approved by 33 percent of those surveyed and rejected by 52 percent. Migration management is also not enjoying great success, although it is one of the main trump cards of the government. 27 percent express a positive opinion, and 63 percent - a negative opinion about the work of the cabinet in this direction. The most categorical negative assessments concern the topics that directly affect the personal finances of Italians, namely healthcare, taxes and the price of energy, notes “Espresso“.
The day after Meloni gave his speech in Bari, at the annual discussion forum organized in the Italian city of Cernobio, a speech was given by retired Italian general Roberto Vanacci, leader of the new Italian party “National Future“, notes “Fanpage“. Vanacci broke away from “Lega“ and according to opinion polls, his party enjoys between 7.5 and 8 percent of confidence. It is ahead of Meloni's coalition partners - – “Forza Italia“ and “Lega“, and ranks fourth nationally in terms of rating. Meloni's party remains in first place, but the opposition Democratic Party and “5 Star Movement“ are in second and third place.
Vannacci and his party are considered Meloni's main opponents on the right, along with her traditional opponents on the left. Meloni has repeatedly accused Vannacci of voting with the left during parliamentary votes, ANSA, “Fanpage“ and “Manifesto“.
In his speech at the Cernobio forum and on the sidelines of the event, Vanacci said that his party represented the “true right“ in Italy. “We are a party that looks to the future, to national revival and certainly to the glorification of what constitutes our identity, our roots and our history“, he said.
In his speech in Cernobio, Vanacci also took a stand on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “The European Union has stood entirely in favor of Ukraine, but in the last six months, gas imports from Russia have increased, thus financing a war economy that we supposedly want to fight. This is a schizophrenic strategy“, he said. And to those who, after these statements, accused him of taking a too obvious position in favor of Russian interests, the former general replied: "I do not feel like a Trojan horse, neither for Putin nor for anyone else. I am pro-Italian and extremely patriotic. I defend the interests of Italy. This is my only concern. I do not push the demands of anyone else on this planet, except for those of Italy," Vanacci stressed.
Criticizing the EU in his speech in Cernobbio, Vanacci said: "We have free movement of goods, but also of immigrants," and in this regard he said that not every immigrant in the EU yearns to integrate.
Regarding the economy, he said: "We used to produce 30 percent of the world's GDP, and now we produce about 15 percent. We are in a state of industrial desertification. We used to make the most beautiful cars in the world, and today we are firing the people who designed and built them. We are very good at regulation, but every rule has its price. The EU does not adapt like other great powers, but remains too rigid“, he said.
In his speech, Vanacci also indicated what the right remedy is for Italy and Europe: “With an average of 1.41 children per woman, our future is short-lived. If we want a better future, we must think about creating the next generations, otherwise the future will be enjoyed by others. Perhaps, instead of “Rearm Europe“, it would be better to do “Regenerate Europe“. That would be a better strategy”, said Vanacci, referring to the demographic decline in Italy and throughout Europe and at the same time criticizing the EC's rearmament program.
Staying on the war wave, Vanacci said in Cernobio that his worst nightmare would be “to see one day his daughters go to battle with a commander called Macron, or even worse, called Von der Leyen“. He criticized the ideas being heard in the EU about sending European soldiers to Ukraine as part of the country's security guarantees after a peace agreement. Meloni's Italy has said it will not participate in such a European mission.
According to Vanacci, however, something is changing in Europe: “The most prominent leaders are already in shaky positions. Starmer has already fallen, Farage is ready to go and I think Merz, Sanchez and Macron “will not wait for the panettone (Christmas cake in Italy) in 2027”, Vanacci said. Thus, through this popular Italian proverb, Vanacci wanted to say that Macron will no longer be president next year after the presidential elections in France, in which he is not constitutionally allowed to run. Sanchez also, according to Vanacci, will not win the next parliamentary elections in Spain, and Merz's ruling coalition could also fall.
This speech by Vanacci at a prestigious forum - the one in Cernobio - was also perceived as the start of his election campaign for next year's elections. These days, Vanacci said that he was expecting a phone call from Meloni, hinting that he expected her to call him to talk about the conditions under which they could possibly form a right-wing coalition for next year's elections, indicates “Manifesto“.
Meloni and Vanacci have things in common, for example on migration issues. But they also have disagreements. One of them is about the creation by the Meloni government of a separate crime in the penal code, namely femicide. According to Vanacci, this was unnecessary because such a crime does not exist. According to him, the murder of a woman is simply the murder of a human being.
On the day of Meloni's speech in Bari, Italy was shocked by yet another femicide - that of 45-year-old Lorena Ischeri, who works in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry in Florence, recalls “La Nazione“. She was kidnapped by her ex-partner, 36-year-old Federico Vella. He stuffed her into the trunk of his car and drove off with her in an unknown direction. Lorena managed to call the emergency number 112 and report that she had been kidnapped. A 112 operator stayed in touch with her for 20 minutes while the police located the car. However, Vela sensed that Lorena was talking to someone on the phone and picked it up. The phone continued to transmit the sound of what was happening. Then the man stopped the car in the middle of a highway bridge, pulled Lorena out of the trunk and threw her off the bridge before the police could reach the scene. Vela then committed suicide, also throwing himself off the bridge.
At the rally in Bari, Meloni pointed to Lorena's story as an example that femicide exists and assured that the authorities would not back down in the fight against this phenomenon. These assurances came at a time when Lorena's devastated father – Franco Icheri, in a video addressed to the President of Italy Sergio Mattarella and to Meloni herself, as well as to all competent authorities, called on them to ensure that tragedies like the one with his daughter do not happen again.
The case of Lorena was the only response that Meloni made from Bari to Vanacci's statements recently, notes “Manifesto“. Due to Vanacci's participation in Cernobbio, she did not send a video statement to the forum, as expected, writes “Repubblica“. But according to “Manifesto“ the very fact that Meloni did not criticize Vanacci's positions on other issues and did not mention him as one of the opponents of her coalition during the rally in Bari shows that she does not perceive him as such and is tacitly telling her followers to adopt the same line towards him, the publication comments.