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Longevity Record in Italy
Italy’s Giorgia Meloni’s conservative administration became Italy’s longest-serving uninterrupted government since World War II after 1,413 days in office, surpassing the record set by Silvio Berlusconi between 2001 and 2005.
“became Italy’s longest-serving uninterrupted government since World War II at 1,413 days”
The milestone is tied to a celebration planned for Friday with a large preelection rally in the southern city of Bari, where Meloni’s government will mark the record as the election campaign for 2027 parliamentary elections begins.
Nathalie Tocci, an international relations expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University, said, “If you have five years in office and not much to show when you go back to voters, it can weigh against you,” as debate grows over whether the stability delivered results.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told The Associated Press that “Meloni has reaped a part of what she sowed,” linking the longevity to international credibility while adding, “She is not reaping the same on the Italian level.”
Reactions and Political Divide
Supporters and critics frame the same longevity differently as the government approaches the election due by the end of 2027, with the question shifting from whether Meloni can govern to whether voters believe her administration delivered enough.
Euronews said the milestone is “a good thing” for Italy because it outlasted other governments while France and the United Kingdom replaced prime ministers in the same period, and it noted the record is expected to be marked on September 4.
Chiara Braga, the leader of the centre-left opposition Democratic Party’s parliamentary group, said, “This stability was not capitalised upon,” and added it “did not lead to any significant improvement in people’s living standards or business competitiveness”.
Tito Boeri, an economist at Milan’s Bocconi University, argued, “This government has primarily sought to survive” by “doing as little as possible,” while Marco Osnato, a prominent lawmaker with Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, called the milestone “certainly a point of pride.”
What’s at Stake Next
As Meloni’s government prepares to seek another term, analysts and opposition figures point to unresolved structural issues alongside the record of continuity, including weak productivity, demographic decline, and shortcomings in healthcare, education and public administration.
“Italy's economy is forecast to grow a lacklustre 0.6 percent in 2026”
Lorenzo Pregliasco of the YouTrend polling institute said this year Meloni was undermined by a justice reform referendum defeat that showed voters “may be an alternative majority” to the ruling ultra-conservative coalition.
Giovanni Orsina, a political scientist at Rome’s Luiss University, said, “A sizable share of voters is really disappointed and angry,” and noted Italy’s chronic issues have led many to think that “no one can solve their problems,” as the coalition faces pressure from Roberto Vannacci’s Futuro Nazionale.
France 24 reported that Italy’s economy is forecast to grow 0.6 percent in 2026, while real wages have been “virtually stagnant since the early 1990s,” and it said unemployment has fallen from above 7 percent to around 5 percent over the past four years.