The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni cemented her place in political history after her government officially became the longest-running uninterrupted government in the history of the Italian Republic. To date, the office of the country's first female prime minister has crossed the line from 1,413 days in power, beating the previous record of 1,412 days set by Silvio Berlusconi's second government between 2001 and 2005. The historic event was celebrated with a grand rally at the cruise terminal in the southern port city of Bari, organised by her party, the Brothers of Italy.
Stability as the "first major reform"
Before thousands of enthusiastic supporters in Bari, Meloni presented the political longevity as proof of the cohesion and maturity of her right-wing coalition, which also includes the League of Matteo Salvini and “Forza Italia“ of Antonio Tajani. Both deputy prime ministers joined the event via video link.
“Stability is our first major reform“, said Meloni, adding that political continuity had removed Italy from the list of countries “under surveillance“ in the European Union and had restored confidence in financial markets. As the main successes of her administration, she pointed to the growth of employment (over 1.3 million new permanent jobs), the reduction of income taxes and the tightening of migration controls.
Tension and counter-protests on the streets of Bari
Despite the festive atmosphere and the traditional light shows, the event in Bari took place against a backdrop of serious political tension. A large-scale counter-protest, organized by left-wing movements and pro-Palestinian groups, gathered in the historic center of the city. Protesters accused the government of militarizing the economy, creating a "police state" and cutting health and education budgets.
Former prime minister and leader of the "5 Star" movement, Giuseppe Conte, sharply criticized the celebrations, describing the four years in power as a period of "inertia and stagnation" for the slowing Italian economy.
New challenges on the road to the elections
Although Meloni holds the record for the longest continuous term in office, Silvio Berlusconi remains at the top of the overall statistics with over 3,340 days in office, accumulated within four different governments. To threaten this absolute record, Meloni will have to win the regular parliamentary elections, which are expected next year.
Analysts note that the campaign will be difficult, as new competition is emerging on the right in the form of the "National Future" movement of former general Roberto Vanacci, which is attracting more radical voters disappointed with Meloni's moderate international policy, in their opinion.