In a country famed for political instability, Giorgia Meloni on Friday (September 4) became Italy's longest-serving prime minister since World War Two, overtaking the record of 1,412 consecutive days set by Silvio Berlusconi in 2005.

Meloni, who has tempered her populist instincts with pragmatism since taking power in October 2022, is expected to speak at a rally to celebrate the milestone, framing the durability of her coalition as one of its crowning achievements.

After cycling through 68 governments in 80 years, Italy has proved much steadier during a period of global conflict than France, which has had five prime ministers since the autumn of 2022, while Britain has got through four.

Analysts broadly agree that Meloni's strongest achievement has been restoring confidence in Italy's shaky public finances, blighted by a hefty debt mountain.

However, little effort was made to shake up an inefficient public administration, the health service and education system, while all the government's institutional reforms, including handing more powers to the prime minister, have floundered.

While ducking ambitious change, Meloni focused on law and order, boosting police powers and cracking down on irregular immigration — a key electoral pledge — cutting the number of new arrivals to 66,316 last year from 157,651 in 2023.

Although she has forged good relations with many European leaders, Meloni's standing abroad has been bruised by the collapse of her once-close ties with Donald Trump after the U.S. president accused her in April of lacking courage and letting the United States down in its war with Iran.

The diplomatic setback, which destroyed any pretence that Meloni could serve as a bridge between Europe and Washington, came within weeks of a stinging domestic defeat, when Italians rejected her flagship judicial reform in a referendum.

The loss punctured the aura of invincibility that had surrounded Meloni's coalition, and while her party remains the most popular in Italy, the standing of her main allies — most notably the far-right League — has dropped steadily.

Opinion polls suggest that the 2027 elections could usher in a more fragmented and potentially less stable political landscape, partly because of the emergence of a new far-right party led by former general Roberto Vannacci, who is winning support with a harder line on immigration, security and cultural change.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as Minister for Youth in former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's fourth cabinet in 2008, becoming the Italian Republic's youngest-ever minister.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MAY 2008) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. GIORGIA MELONI BEING SWORN IN AS YOUTH MINISTER IN FORMER ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI'S FOURTH CABINET

Berlusconi, pretending to have difficulty walking, shook hands with then-Youth Minister Giorgia Meloni, remarking, "What an energetic handshake!"

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - APRIL 8, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

2. BERLUSCONI PRETENDING TO BE SOMEONE WITH PROBLEMS WALKING / BERLUSCONI SHAKING HANDS WITH THEN YOUTH MINISTER, GIORGIA MELONI, AND SAYING (Italian) "What an energetic handshake!"

Just days ahead of the elections that would make her prime minister in 2022, Meloni appeared on stage with League Party leader, Matteo Salvini, and former prime minister Berlusconi, during a rally in Rome's Piazza del Popolo.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 22, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all)

3. MELONI WITH LEADER OF LEAGUE PARTY, MATTEO SALVINI, AND BERLUSCONI ON STAGE DURING RALLY

4. SUPPORTERS WAVING PARTY FLAGS

Giorgia Meloni said that Europe may be worried about her leadership, but Italy would defend its national interests.

MILAN, ITALY (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 11, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all)

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) BROTHERS OF ITALY LEADER, GIORGIA MELONI, SAYING:

"They say that in Europe they are a bit worried about Meloni and what will happen. What will happen? The fun will be over. What will happen is that Italy will be able to defend its national interests."

6. SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING

Meloni cast her vote on September 25, 2022, before the election results gave the right a clear mandate to form the government.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 25, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all)

7. VARIOUS OF MELONI HOLDING POLLING CARDS, POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Meloni's nationalist Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia) party won 26% of the national vote — a share that dwarfed the results of its two coalition partners combined. Matteo Salvini's League took 8.8%, and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia took 8.1%.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 26, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all)

8. MELONI ON STAGE

9. MELONI SMILING, PICKING UP A T-SHIRT THROWN FROM AUDIENCE

Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as Italy's first female prime minister on October 22, 2022, giving the country its most right-wing government since World War Two. Her government, the 12th this century, replaced a national unity administration led by former European Central Bank chief, Mario Draghi.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - OCTOBER 21, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. VARIOUS OF MELONI AND ITALIAN PRESIDENT, SERGIO MATTARELLA, STANDING

11. MATTARELLA AND MELONI POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH NEW CABINET

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni formally launched her new government on October 23, 2022, after a handover ceremony at the prime minister's office with her predecessor Mario Draghi.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - OCTOBER 23, 2022) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

12. MELONI RINGING BELL

13. MELONI AND FORMER ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, MARIO DRAGHI, POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS

On March 16, 2023, Meloni met with relatives of victims of a deadly migrant shipwreck that claimed the lives of at least 79 people near the town of Steccato di Cutro. Before meeting the victims' relatives, Meloni said her government had faced "atrocious" accusations for their migration policies but that her conscience was clear.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MARCH 16, 2023) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all) (MUTE)

14. MELONI SITTING AND SMILING

15. RELATIVES OF VICTIMS OF MIGRANT SHIPWRECK IN CUTRO

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MARCH 13, 2023) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIORGIA MELONI, SAYING:

"The government and I have been accused of atrocious things, but my conscience is clear."

On March 17, 2023, Meloni was interrupted during a speech at a trade union convention in Rimini, as some delegates sang the anti-fascist song 'Bella Ciao'. Meloni's Brothers of Italy party traces its roots back to a post-fascist movement created at the end of World War Two by supporters of former dictator Benito Mussolini.

RIMINI, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MARCH 17, 2023) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

17. MELONI ON STAGE / AUDIO OF TRADE UNIONISTS SINGING ANTI-FASCIST SONG 'BELLA CIAO' / MELONI SAYING (Italian) "Good morning, everyone. Thank you."

Meloni earlier attended an official ceremony on National Unity Day, commemorating the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MARCH 17, 2023) (PRESIDENTIAL PALACE TV - Access all)

18. CORAZZIERI HONOUR GUARDS HOLDING WREATH

19. MATTARELLA, MELONI AND OTHER TOP OFFICIALS STANDING FOR ITALIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged to support the recovery of flood-hit areas of northern Italy on May 21, 2023, after returning early from a G7 summit in Japan to see the damage firsthand.

EMILIA ROMAGNA, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MAY 21, 2023) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all) (MUTE)

20. MELONI MEETING WOMAN IN FLOOD-HIT AREA

21. MELONI INSPECTING FLOOD-DAMAGED PROPERTIES

European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and Meloni travelled to the Sicilian Island of Lampedusa to visit the port where thousands of migrants arrived, more than the island's permanent population.

LAMPEDUSA, ITALY (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 17, 2023) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

22. MELONI WALKING / PEOPLE GREETING AND PROTESTING

23. ITALIAN INTERIOR MINISTER, MATTEO PIANTEDOSI, SPEAKING TO VON DER LEYEN AND MELONI (MUTE)

Meloni said she had separated from her TV journalist partner, Andrea Giambruno, who had drawn criticism for sexist comments in the previous days.

INTERNET (ARCHIVE - OCTOBER 20, 2023) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - Access all) (MUTE)

24. VARIOUS OF POST FROM ACCOUNT OF MELONI, WITH A SELFIE WITH HER FORMER PARTNER, ANDREA GIAMBRUNO, AND THEIR DAUGHTER, GINEVRA / POST READING (Italian):

"My relationship with Andrea Giambruno, which lasted almost 10 years, ends here. I thank him for the splendid years we spent together, for the difficulties we went through, and for giving me the most important thing in my life, which is our daughter Ginevra. Our paths have diverged for some time, and the time has come to acknowledge it. I will defend what we were, I will defend our friendship, and I will defend, at all costs, a seven-year-old girl who loves her mother and loves her father, as I was unable to love mine. I have nothing else to say about this. Ps. All those who hoped to weaken me by striking me at home should know that however much the drop may hope to dig out the stone, the stone remains stone and the drop is only water."

Meloni met with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Tel Aviv, as Israel's military pounded northern Gaza and warned it would increase its attacks.

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (ARCHIVE - OCTOBER 21, 2023) (GPO - Access all) (MUTE)

25. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SHAKING HANDS WITH MELONI, HUGGING

26. NETANYAHU AND MELONI MEETING

Meloni visited Albania, where her government planned to build reception camps to house thousands of migrants picked up at sea.

SHENGJIN, ALBANIA (ARCHIVE - JUNE 5, 2024) (REUTERS - Access all)

27. VARIOUS OF MELONI AND ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER, EDI RAMA, VISITING CONSTRUCTION SITE OF ITALIAN-RUN MIGRANT CENTRE

SHENGJIN, ALBANIA (ARCHIVE - JUNE 4, 2024) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

28. DRONE FOOTAGE OF MIGRANT RECEPTION CENTRE

Meloni kicked off a Group of Seven (G7) summit in southern Italy's Borgo Egnazia on June 13, 2024, with the Ukraine and Gaza crises on top of the agenda.

BORGO EGNAZIA, ITALY (ARCHIVE - JUNE 13, 2024) (HOST BROADCASTER POOL - Access all)

29. VARIOUS OF MELONI WELCOMING THEN-BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, RISHI SUNAK

30. G7 LEADERS ROUNDTABLE

31. MELONI SPEAKING

After his Labour Party's landslide election victory, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Meloni in Rome on September 16, 2024. Starmer said his talks with the Italian Prime Minister had helped in developing Britain's approach to tackling illegal immigration, which had increasingly become a focus of anger for some Britons.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 16, 2024) (INTERNATIONAL POOL - Access all)

32. THEN-BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SHAKING HANDS WITH MELONI AFTER PRESSER

Meloni visited Beirut, becoming the first Western leader to travel to Lebanon following Israeli attacks on U.N. bases that sparked outrage in several EU capitals.

BEIRUT, LEBANON (ARCHIVE - OCTOBER 18, 2024) (REUTERS - Access all)

33. VARIOUS OF MELONI MEETING WITH LEBANESE PARLIAMENT SPEAKER, NABIH BERRI

Meloni met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Rome.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - DECEMBER 13, 2024) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all) (MUTE)

34. MELONI GREETING PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, MAHMOUD ABBAS

35. ABBAS AND MELONI SHAKING HANDS AND POSING FOR PICTURES

Meloni flew to Florida to meet with then-President-elect Donald Trump, as she sought to buttress ties before his inauguration on January 20, 2025. While no details of their meeting had been disclosed, Meloni had planned to speak with Trump about Russia's war in Ukraine, trade issues, the Middle East and the plight of an Italian journalist detained in Tehran, according to Italian media reports.

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (ARCHIVE - JANUARY 4, 2025) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all) (MUTE)

36. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MELONI AND THEN-U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT, DONALD TRUMP, POSING FOR CAMERAS

37. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MELONI AND TRUMP GIVING THUMBS-UP GESTURE

Meloni met journalist Cecilia Sala in person upon her return to Italy after three weeks in an Iranian prison.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - JANUARY 8, 2025) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

38. FREED ITALIAN JOURNALIST, CECILIA SALA, MEETING WITH MELONI IN FRONT OF ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, ANTONIO TAJANI, AND ROME'S MAYOR, ROBERTO GUALTIERI

Meloni said she was under investigation for Italy's surprise release of a Libyan police officer, Osama Elmasry Njeem, wanted by the International Criminal Court.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - JANUARY 28, 2025) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

39. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIORGIA MELONI, SAYING:

"Now, I believe that what was true yesterday remains true today. I will not be blackmailed, I will not allow myself to be intimidated."

Meloni attended Pope Leo's inaugural mass at the Vatican on May 18, 2025, after he was elected to succeed the late Pope Francis, becoming the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church.

VATICAN CITY (ARCHIVE - MAY 18, 2025) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

40. MELONI GREETING POPE LEO IN ST PETER'S BASILICA

The Italian Prime Minister welcomed global leaders in Rome for a two-day conference aimed at mobilising international support for Ukraine.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - JULY 10, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

41. VARIOUS OF MELONI GREETING UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, AND FIRST LADY, OLENA ZELENSKA

42. MELONI AND LEADERS POSING FOR FAMILY PHOTO

U.S. President Donald Trump described Meloni as "a beautiful young woman" on October 13, 2025, as she stood behind him on stage at a Gaza summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT (ARCHIVE - OCTOBER 13, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

43. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"Now, if you use the word 'beautiful' in the United States about a woman, that's the end of your political career. But I'll take my chances. Where is she? (TURNING TO MELONI) There she is. You don't mind being called beautiful, right? Because you are. Thank you very much for coming. We appreciate it. She wanted to be here and she's incredible. And they really respect her."

Meloni met U.S. Vice President JD Vance in Milan on February 6, 2026, hours before the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, using the encounter to reaffirm the strength of U.S.-Italian ties despite tensions around the presence of U.S. security personnel at the Games.

MILAN, ITALY (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 6, 2026) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

44. MELONI GREETING U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, JD VANCE

45. MELONI AND VANCE SHAKING HANDS, TAKING SEATS

46. MELONI AND VANCE SPEAKING

Meloni cast her vote for a referendum on a flagship judicial reform she had championed. Results later showed the opposition-backed "no" bloc secured around 54% of the vote, against 46% for the government's "yes" camp.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MARCH 23, 2026) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

47. MELONI CASTING HER VOTE AND LEAVING

In a video message posted on social media, Meloni acknowledged defeat.

UNKNOWN LOCATION (ARCHIVE - RELEASED ON MARCH 23, 2026) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT) (GIORGIA MELONI VIA X - No resales / no archive / Must on-screen courtesy Giorgia Meloni via X)

48. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIORGIA MELONI, SAYING:

"The people have decided and we, as always, respect their decision."

The Italian Prime Minister offered support to Pope Leo after the pontiff was sharply criticised by Donald Trump on April 12, 2026. Her remarks drew a blunt public rebuke from the U.S. president, who had long been considered one of her closest international allies.

VERONA, ITALY (ARCHIVE - APRIL 14, 2026) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

49. MEDIA APPROACHING MELONI

50. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIORGIA MELONI, SAYING:

"Those statements, particularly regarding the pontiff, were unacceptable. I expressed, and continue to express, my solidarity with Pope Leo. I'll tell you more: frankly, I would not feel at ease in a society where religious leaders do what political leaders tell them to do."

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Meloni to the Elysee Palace on April 17, 2026, for a meeting aimed at signalling to the United States that some of its closest allies were ready to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allowed.

PARIS, FRANCE (ARCHIVE - APRIL 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

51. FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, WELCOMING MELONI / BOTH WALKING UP STEPS, POSING FOR PHOTOS

Meloni met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 8, 2026, at a moment of unusual strain between her government and President Donald Trump's administration, driven largely by the war with Iran.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MAY 8, 2026) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all) (MUTE)

52. MELONI SHAKING HANDS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO

Meloni and Trump met at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains on June 16, 2026. EU Council President Antonio Costa could be heard jokingly saying: "You are friends again," as he approached the two leaders. "We have always been friends," Meloni quipped.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE (ARCHIVE - JUNE 16, 2026) (G7 FRANCE - Access all)

53. MELONI STANDING BY A CHAIR, AS TRUMP AND GERMAN CHANCELLOR, FRIEDRICH MERZ, SPEAK

54. EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT, ANTONIO COSTA, APPROACHING TRUMP AND MELONI AND SAYING (English): "You are friends again."

55. MELONI SAYING (English): "We have always been friends."

56. MELONI LAUGHING

Video from the event in France showed Meloni and Trump deep in conversation. In a later interview with La7 TV channel, the U.S. leader suggested he had merely indulged her by chatting with her. "She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for her," he said, according to La7's translation.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE (ARCHIVE - JUNE 17, 2026) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all) (MUTE)

57. MELONI TALKING WITH TRUMP AT G7 SUMMIT

Meloni accused Trump of fabricating a story about her in a video posted on social media, saying she was "astonished" by his comments, which were "completely made up."

UNKNOWN LOCATION (ARCHIVE - JUNE 19, 2026) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT) (GIORGIA MELONI VIA INSTAGRAM - No resales / No archive / Must on-screen courtesy Giorgia Meloni via Instagram)

58. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GIORGIA MELONI SAYING:

''Donald Trump's statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished. I don't know why the President of the United States behaves like this towards his allies: it is not the first time, moreover."

In a post to Truth Social, Trump reiterated his claim that Meloni requested a photo with him, even as he accused her of declining support for U.S. efforts targeting Iran's nuclear program.

INTERNET (ARCHIVE - JUNE 20, 2026) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - Access all) (MUTE)

59. SCREENSHOT OF U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S TRUTH POST READING (English):

"Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France. She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!). She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other “so-called” NATO Allies. Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her “numbers up.” No thanks!!! President DJT"

Meloni responded with a post on Instagram, telling the U.S. President to look after his own popularity.

INTERNET (ARCHIVE - JUNE 20, 2026) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - Access all) (MUTE)

60. SCREENSHOT OF ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GIORGIA MELONI'S POST ON INSTAGRAM READING (English):

"President Trump, these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless. As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy's national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done. That is also what I did regarding American military bases in Italy, their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I am Prime Minister. Italy remains a sovereign nation. In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours."

During an interview on June 23, 2026, the Italian Prime Minister said that relations with the United States had to return to normal after the escalating row with Trump.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - JUNE 23, 2026) (GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

61. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIORGIA MELONI, SAYING:

"I do not intend to keep fuelling this dispute. I believe that our bilateral work with the United States must return to normal."

Meloni met with Trump and other NATO leaders at a summit in Ankara on July 7-8, when European leaders aimed to persuade the U.S. president to renew his commitment to the military alliance after disputes over the Iran war and Greenland.

ANKARA, TURKEY (ARCHIVE - JULY 8, 2026) (HOST BROADCASTER - Access all)

62. MELONI ARRIVING AT ROUNDTABLE

63. TRUMP TAKING SEAT ALONGSIDE NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, AND TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN

64. MEETING IN PROGRESS