Far-right Vannacci's rise challenges Meloni as she marks longevity record

As Giorgia Meloni's government on Friday became the longest-lasting in Italy's postwar history, a new political challenge is emerging from her right flank. Roberto Vannacci, leader of the Futuro Nazionale party, has seen a speedy rise in the polls that poses questions about whether the Prime Minister will return to her roots before next year's election, the Guardian reported.

The longevity milestone — Meloni has now surpassed the record set by Silvio Berlusconi between 2001 and 2005, according to France 24 — coincides with a period of intense instability in Italian politics that has seen 68 governments in the last 80 years. Yet the celebration is complicated by Vannacci's surge, which threatens to split the conservative vote.

France 24's analysis attributes Meloni's durability to a formula of '50% savvy political tactics, 50% extraordinarily good luck,' noting that she has governed pragmatically, working within EU institutions despite her party's neo-fascist roots. The challenge from Vannacci now tests whether that pragmatism has cost her the loyalty of the hard right.