Meloni's longevity record leaves Molise waiting on the South

Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government on Friday becomes the longest-lasting in Italy's postwar history, a notable record that belies considerable challenges ahead of elections next year, according to France 24. The government has been in power for 1,413 days, surpassing the record set by Silvio Berlusconi between 2001 and 2005, making it Italy's longest serving uninterrupted government since World War II.

When she took office in 2022, many European allies viewed her with unease, given her party's neo-fascist roots. Yet she has governed pragmatically, working within EU institutions and even supporting Ukraine, France 24 reported. The longevity record comes after a period of intense instability; Italy has had 68 governments in the last 80 years.

For Molise, Italy's smallest and emptiest region, the record is a reminder of how little has changed. With a population of roughly 289,000 and falling, the region has watched successive governments in Rome come and go without reversing the steady flow of young people leaving for the cities of the North or abroad.