Meloni's longevity record leaves Sardinia's autonomy hopes in limbo

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni marked a historic milestone this week as her government became the longest-lasting in the country's postwar history, surpassing the record previously held by Silvio Berlusconi, according to France 24 and Euronews reports. The hard-right coalition has now governed for 1,413 days, a rarity in a nation where governments have often collapsed before completing their mandates.

For Sardinia, the durability of the central government in Rome carries particular weight. The island is one of five Italian regions with special autonomy status, a constitutional arrangement that grants Sardinia legislative and administrative powers over matters including health, education and local taxation.

The longevity of Meloni's coalition has been described by analysts as the product of both political skill and a fragmented opposition. As France 24 reported, political analyst Lorenzo Pregliasco argued that there is 'no alternative leader, no other possible leader than Giorgia Meloni' on the Italian centre-left, leaving the government free to set the national agenda.

The record, celebrated at a Brothers of Italy party rally in Bari on Friday, comes with elections expected in 2027. Euronews reported that the durability of Meloni's coalition 'has been a rarity in postwar Italy, where governments have often fallen before the end of their mandates.'

Sardinia's relationship with Rome has long been shaped by the island's special statute, granted in 1948 to recognise its geographic isolation and distinct linguistic and cultural identity. The regional government in Cagliari has periodically pressed for greater fiscal autonomy and for a renegotiation of the financial arrangements with the central state, though progress has been slow under successive national administrations.

The island's concerns are not unique. Other special-status regions, including Sicily and Trentino-Alto Adige, have pursued similar negotiations with Rome. But Sardinia's demographic decline — one of the most acute in Italy, with a shrinking and ageing population — gives the autonomy question an urgency that mainland regions do not share.

France 24's press review noted that while right-leaning media celebrated the milestone, left-leaning commentators described Meloni's leadership in less flattering terms. The divergence reflects a broader uncertainty about what the government's durability will mean for policy in the regions, particularly on issues such as migration, tourism regulation and climate adaptation, all of which touch Sardinia directly.

For Sardinia's political class, the question is whether the government's stability translates into tangible outcomes for the island. With an election on the horizon and the prime minister's position seemingly secure, regional leaders may find that their leverage with Rome has not increased — the central government, after all, no longer fears the instability that once forced it to bargain with the periphery.

The island's autonomy statute, like those of the other special regions, is a constitutional matter that would require national legislation to amend. As Meloni's government settles into its record-breaking tenure, Sardinia's longstanding requests for a revised financial pact and greater control over its own affairs remain on the table — but with no clear signal that Rome intends to act.