Ample space in the Financial Times for the longevity record of Giorgia Meloni's government. The City paper recalls how the centre-right coalition has been in office for 1,413 days, one more than Silvio Berlusconi's second government and a few weeks away from the four-year mark. The British newspaper highlights the contrast between Italy's political stability and the frequent government crises that have characterized the country in recent decades.
Meloni, observes the FT, "is celebrating his longevity in office after a series of recent setbacks, including a serious disagreement with US President Donald Trump, and in view of a difficult re-election battle expected next year". The opposition, the newspaper notes, accuse the government of using stability as "a pretext to hide the lack of progress in addressing the economy's long-standing structural problems, including high energy costs and low productivity".
The analysis of the financial newspaper
GDP growth has remained below 1% and has slowed down in the last three years", recalls the FT, underlining the forecasts for 2026 which fluctuate between 0.5% and 0.8%, while the debt/GDP ratio has risen from 134% to 138%. "Meloni and his circle of loyalists - we read - have shown little interest in structural reforms aimed at stimulating growth, apart from the long discussions on the resumption of nuclear energy production for generate sovereign energy at affordable prices".
However, the FT recognizes that the prime minister took a pragmatic line with respect to the markets' initial concerns. Meloni, we read, has maintained a prudent fiscal policy, strengthened relations with Brussels and supported Ukraine, contributing to a significant reduction in the spread between Italian and German government bonds. The analysts cited by the newspaper define Italy as a sort of "beacon of political stability in Europe".
Finally, according to pollsters cited by the FT, the prime minister's approval rating remains "stable", also supported by her communication skills and the weakness of the opposition. A consensus which, the pollsters quoted by the newspaper point out, does not necessarily reflect the satisfaction of Italians with the economic, health or security situation, but also the perception that government alternatives are less credible.
French newspapers
The record of longevity of the Meloni government also finds space in several French newspapers. On the front page of LE FIGARO, a photo of the prime minister stands out which recalls an article inside: "In four years at the helm of Italy, Giorgia Meloni has brought political stability back". Inside, LE FIGARO points out that "his government surpasses Berlusconi's in longevity, a post-war record despite a series of setbacks." On the same page, an article entitled "In Puglia, the Italian Prime Minister's seduction operation".
"Giorgia Meloni breaks records for political longevity in Italy" is also headlined by LES ECHOS, which underlines how "Italy is no longer the country of chronic political instability" and adds: "The longevity of the current government is explained above all by an Italian peculiarity: Giorgia Meloni has not made any major reshuffle. In Italy, the slightest change in the team of ministers is perceived as a change of government, while in neighboring countries it is the head of government who embodies continuity."
LE PARISIEN headlines: "Giorgia Meloni, the first doubts at the moment of her consecration", then writing that "a record is being celebrated in a country that has long been a champion of ephemeral governments, but the next few months promise to be complicated".
