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Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised Italy's new political stability on Friday but acknowledged failings as she celebrated her government becoming the longest-running in the country's postwar history.
Speaking at a fiery rally in Bari in southern Italy, the hard-right leader also said EU countries that had treated her government as "extremists" on immigration were now "copying" Italian policies.
"Stability has been a shield thanks to which we have been able to protect this country," she told thousands of supporters, adding Italy was no longer "the sick man of Europe."
"There have been days when I felt like I was swimming in glue but I didn't give up and I don't plan to do so now," she said, effectively establishing her re-election campaign ahead of a vote next year.
Meloni made history as Italy's first woman prime minister on Oct. 22, 2022, and has led the same administration for 1,413 days—one more than billionaire media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi managed.
Alternating between ebullient, humorous and scathing, the 49-year-old drew repeated cheers from the crowd at the rally organized by her Brothers of Italy (FdI) party near the port area of Bari.
Salvatore Sinopoli, a 37-year-old engineer from the southern Calabria region, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Meloni had "restored Italy's international position."
Sergio De Nardo, a 66-year-old lawyer, agreed, saying, "She has shown her qualities particularly on the international, European level. She has made herself respected."
However, "Have wages increased? No. Petrol costs more, job insecurity has increased, people are retiring less and the healthcare system is functioning less effectively," said Maurizio Landini, head of the CGIL trade union, speaking ahead of Friday's rally.
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