Completing three years in her leadership yesterday, even her political opponents credit the Italian prime minister with virtues such as the duration of her government – the third longest government in Italy in the last twenty-five years – and the political stability she brought to the country. The Italian press refers to the Meloni three-year period (2022-2025), the “triennio”, as a period of stability although not radical reforms.
Meloni, whose Brotherhood of Italy party has far-right origins, co-rules with junior partners in government, Matteo Salvini’s far-right League of the North and Berlusconi’s right-wing Forza Italia party. In 2022, when Meloni, Italy’s first female prime minister, took office, the international press described her as a far-right politician who threatens Europe. Her presence at rallies of other far-right parties such as Vox in Spain, where she introduced herself to crowds saying “I’m Georgian, I’m Italian, I’m Christian”, justified the wariness not only of the media but also of her political opponents.
However, soon after , Meloni sided with the EU and the US of the then president , putting aside her previous sympathy for Putin. Meloni maintains the same attitude even today, having assigned Salvini the role of Moscow’s friend. In the economy, Meloni managed to reduce the GDP deficit from 8% in 2022, to 3%, according to forecasts for this year.
“Low risk” governance
Although her “low-risk” governance contributed to the reduction of the deficit, she nevertheless failed to significantly develop the Italian economy, which for years has been plagued by excessive bureaucracy, high energy costs, demographic shrinkage, a constant “brain drain”, high taxation and low wages. Several economists point out that without the support of the EU Recovery Fund, after the coronavirus pandemic, Italy might have sunk into recession. The funds amounting to 194 billion euros were a real lifeline for the Meloni government. Her critics argue that in the fields of health and education, the reforms that were supposed to take place, did not take place, and are not even planned to take place.
In her bid to maintain balance between government partners, Meloni has strengthened her right-wing base by highlighting the importance of national identity and traditional family values.
At the same time, he has placed particular emphasis on security and public order, seeking to reform the Judiciary and strengthen the powers of the police. The centre-left opposition abandons it for the curtailment of democratic freedoms and for suffocating control of the state media (public television and radio, RAI). But it is a fact that Italy’s centre-left remains divided after its 2022 election defeat, and without a leader capable of challenging Meloni, whose directness and fiery language resonates with an electorate wary of political elites.
The delicate balances
The Italian prime minister’s firm initiatives in foreign policy and the avoidance of political drama in domestic matters have helped her maintain a stable position in the polls. Her popularity is at 42% while her party comes first with 29.7% followed by the centre-left Democratic Party with 22%.
Meloni works closely with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to limit migration flows from North Africa, while maintaining close ties with the US president, as she maintained with his predecessor, Joe Biden. The Economist describes Meloni as contradictory: sometimes she is populist and sometimes she exudes moderation and sobriety. It is not difficult to understand why. The hard-right has to believe that she remains firmly against the “woke culture” while at the same time, Meloni has to reassure the more moderate voters – who make up the largest portion of those who elected her. She seeks good relations with Trump, but at the same time wants her European counterparts to believe that she has abandoned her Euroscepticism. It’s a delicate balance, which he seems to be handling quite well.
However, the fact that Meloni managed to get through the first three years of her term with relative ease does not rule out, as analysts point out, that she will have a smooth course in the next two years until the next national elections, which are expected to be held in 2027.
