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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni celebrated her government becoming the longest-serving administration of Italy’s republican era, saying political stability had transformed the country’s standing in Europe.
Meloni spoke at a rally organized by her Brothers of Italy party in Bari after her right-wing coalition government reached 1,413 days in office, making it the longest-serving government since Italy became a republic in 1946.
“Stability is the first major reform. Italy is no longer Europe’s constantly changing bundle of problems,” Meloni said.
She recalled that frequent changes of government had previously led international counterparts to question how long Italian administrations would remain in office.
“We were the ones constantly changing governments, and at international conferences our counterparts would ask us, ‘How long will this government last?’ Those who are treated this way cannot negotiate or defend their own interests,” she said.
Meloni, who came to power after early general elections in the fall of 2022, said she now enjoys more support than when she first took office.
Italy’s first female prime minister also said she had faced difficult moments during her time in power but had never “given up.”
Meloni said her government had been described as “extremist” by some circles within the European Union over return centers established in Albania for irregular migrants.
She said five EU countries were now following Italy’s approach by beginning talks with African countries such as Rwanda.
Meloni also said her government wants to increase the share of oil extracted from waters around Italy and reduce reliance on imported energy.
“It makes no sense to go and buy oil from Qatar when we have oil in Basilicata,” she said.
“We protected this country as much as possible from rising energy costs, but now we want as much of the energy Italy needs as possible to be produced in Italy.”
Meloni said her government had also broken a decades-old taboo by reopening the path toward nuclear energy after 40 years.
Opposition Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein criticized Meloni’s celebration, saying Italians had nothing to celebrate.
“The country wants us to govern after four wasted years,” Schlein said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Meloni in a social media post, referring to her as having obtained the title of Italy’s “longest-serving prime minister.”
“I sincerely congratulate Ms. Giorgia Meloni, who has earned the title of the ‘longest-serving prime minister’ of the Italian Republic,” Erdogan said.
“I wholeheartedly believe that together with Ms. Giorgia Meloni, we will further strengthen the cooperation and solidarity between our countries with each passing day.”
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