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.

France 24's Sharon Gaffney spoke with Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome, who described Meloni's success as "50% savvy political tactics, 50% extraordinarily good luck." The analysis came as the government marks the milestone while facing challenges ahead of elections next year.

The Guardian reported that the rise of far-right leader Roberto Vannacci and his Futuro Nazionale party poses questions whether Meloni will return to her roots before the election. Vannacci's speedy poll rise challenges Meloni from the right, potentially squeezing her support among voters who once backed her hard-right positions.

For the deep South, the political dynamics in Rome feel distant. Molise's depopulation is not a new story — it has been losing residents for decades, a trend that foreign features on rural abandonment have documented. The region has experimented with schemes to attract newcomers, including paying people to move there, but these have been small-scale responses to a structural crisis.

The longevity record also raises questions about what the government has delivered for the regions that need it most. While Meloni has worked within EU institutions and maintained a pragmatic course, the structural problems of the Italian South — an ageing population, limited employment opportunities, and the constant pull of emigration — remain largely unaddressed.

Demographic projections cited in previous international reporting suggest Italy is on track to lose over 20 percent of its population by 2080, a trend that would hit regions like Molise particularly hard. The region's own population decline mirrors the national pattern but at an accelerated pace, as young people leave for opportunities elsewhere.

As Meloni celebrates her government's durability, the question from Molise's perspective is less about political longevity and more about whether any government in Rome can reverse the forces that empty the Italian interior. The foreign press has noted that Italy's demographic decline is among the most severe in Europe, and the regions of the South are bearing the brunt of it.