Meloni's longevity record: what it means for the South

Giorgia Meloni's government has become the longest-lasting since World War II, surpassing the record set by Silvio Berlusconi between 2001 and 2005, France 24 reported on Thursday. The milestone, reached after 1,413 days in power, marks a remarkable run of stability in a country that has cycled through 68 governments in 80 years.

For the South, and for Puglia in particular, the longevity of this administration carries a specific significance. The region has long been a testing ground for national policies on industrial transition, agriculture and migration — areas where the government's record is now subject to closer scrutiny precisely because of the time it has had to implement its agenda.

The stability that Meloni has brought to Rome has been praised by some international observers as a departure from Italy's tradition of revolving-door politics. But for the Mezzogiorno, the question is whether that stability has translated into tangible progress on the issues that matter most.

France 24 documented how Meloni, Italy's first female prime minister, has governed pragmatically, working within EU institutions despite the neo-fascist roots of her Brothers of Italy party. Her tenure has outlasted that of Berlusconi, who held power from 2001 to 2005, and has defied the expectations of European allies who viewed her rise with unease.

The record is not merely a matter of political trivia. In the South, where unemployment has historically run higher than the national average and where the gap with the richer North remains a persistent fault line, the length of a government's mandate determines the fate of long-term projects. Puglia's Taranto steelworks, a symbol of the industrial South's bargain with heavy industry, has been a recurring point of tension between environmental health and job preservation throughout Meloni's time in office.

International coverage has noted that the government's next challenge is an election due next year. That dynamic adds a layer of uncertainty to a region that has watched national politics closely, aware that shifts in Rome can redirect funds and priorities southward.

For Puglia, the balance sheet of this long government includes the management of EU recovery funds, the ongoing response to Xylella's devastation of olive groves, and the handling of migration across the Adriatic. Each of these files has seen action and criticism in equal measure, and the coming electoral campaign will test whether the stability of the past 1,413 days is seen as a foundation or a missed opportunity.