Meloni Celebrates Becoming Italy's Longest Serving Postwar Prime Minister

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for congratulating her on becoming Italy's longest continuously serving Prime Minister in the postwar era.

Meloni stated that the relationship between Italy and India is stronger than ever and that the Special Strategic Partnership launched during their last meeting reflects the importance of this bond. Meloni's hard-right government on Friday marked 1,413 consecutive days in office, surpassing the previous record of 1,412 days held by Silvio Berlusconi's second administration (2001-2005).

This makes her government the longest-lasting in Italy's history since the country became a republic after World War II. Meloni, who became Italy's first woman prime minister when her coalition won the 2022 general election, is celebrating this milestone with a rally at the port in Bari under the slogan "The Most Stable Government, the Strongest Italy."

Italy has seen 68 governments in eight decades, with an average administration lasting just 18 months. Meloni stated that stability is a condition that enables a nation to plan, make decisions, keep its commitments, and command respect. Her government claims to have increased employment by over one million people, reduced unemployment below 6%, and cut income taxes for lower earners and the middle class by around 21 billion euros.

Foreign chancelleries and markets were bracing for another short-lived Italian political experiment when Meloni took office in October 2022. She rapidly changed her image and communication style, dropping talk of leaving the eurozone and forming working relationships with EU institutions and Washington. Opposition parties argue the last four years have been wasted, pointing to low economic growth, an overall increase in the tax burden despite income tax reductions, a drop in health spending relative to GDP, and a failure to deliver major reforms.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani warned Wednesday of possible Russian attempts to influence next year's Italian general election, to which Meloni responded that Italian authorities are watchful and committed to national security. Meloni's government is using the celebration as an opportunity to campaign for Italy's 2027 election, with thousands of supporters expected at the Bari rally.