Meloni's longevity reshapes Rome's diplomatic weight

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni marked a historic milestone on Friday as her hard-right government became the longest-lasting in the country's postwar history, surpassing the record previously held by media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. According to France 24, Meloni has now been in office for 1,413 days, a feat celebrated with major festivities thrown by her Brothers of Italy party in what the network described as a 'power party'.

The durability of Meloni's coalition has been a rarity in postwar Italy, where governments have often fallen before the end of their mandates, Euronews reported from a rally in Bari where the prime minister marked the occasion with the 2027 vote in sight. The longevity record was confirmed across multiple international outlets, with France 24 noting that considerable challenges remain for Italy's first female prime minister ahead of elections next year.

Political analysts interviewed by France 24 offered a nuanced reading of the record. Lorenzo Pregliasco, co-founder of polling agency YouTrend and adjunct professor at the University of Bologna, argued that Meloni's unusual longevity is best understood not simply as a sign of political strength but as the product of careful tactics, according to the network's video interview. Dr. Giulia Sandri, associate researcher at the Free University of Brussels, told France 24 that Meloni's strength is less linked to policy and more about her party's dominance within the government coalition, noting that four years of governmental stability have allowed her to accumulate diplomatic relationships and strengthen Italy's international standing.

From the perspective of Rome's diplomatic and institutional circles, this stability carries particular weight. Nathalie Tocci, director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome, described Meloni's success as a formula of '50% savvy political tactics, 50% extraordinarily good luck' in comments carried by France 24. The capital's role as seat of government means the longevity record translates directly into continuity in foreign policy, EU and NATO posture, and Vatican relations — areas where frequent turnover has historically weakened Italian influence.

The celebrations, however, mask underlying tensions. The Guardian reported on the rise of far-right leader Roberto Vannacci, whose Futuro Nazionale party's rapid poll rise poses questions about whether Meloni will return to her roots before the election. The French press review on France 24 captured the divide, noting that while the rightwing press celebrates the milestone, the leftwing press describes her leadership as a fiasco. For the Lazio bureau, the record is less a moment of triumph than a reminder that in Italian politics, as the foreign wire consistently notes, stability is the exception, not the rule — and the next electoral test is already visible on the horizon.