Meloni’s Italy: Stability, but economic reforms lag
Giorgia Meloni marked her government’s fourth anniversary on Friday, making it Italy’s longest-serving postwar administration.
Before Meloni, Italian governments lasted an average of just 13 months.
Stability, but at what cost?
Meloni’s cabinet insists its longevity is a political achievement, proving Italy’s stability.
Nicola Procaccini, her Brussels representative, said: The image of Italy has changed, and so has the image of Giorgia Meloni.
Analysts argue the government has done little to address Italy’s deep-rooted issues: high public debt, low productivity, and youth emigration.
Nicoletta Pirozzi of the Istituto Affari Internazionali said: The durability can be considered the main political win for a government that can’t show off any other significant reforms.
Meloni’s pragmatism has transformed her from a feared far-right figure to a conventional European leader.
This shift may limit her ability to deliver promised changes, while also facing pressure from her radical base.
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From rhetoric to reality
Meloni initially vowed to challenge the EU, but instead became a cooperative Brussels operator.
She supported Ukraine and committed to budgetary discipline, a strategy to avoid domestic and foreign criticism.
Lorenzo De Sio of Luiss University said: She knew that, had she confronted the European Commission, that would have reverberated at home.
The government’s cautious approach reduced the budget deficit from 8.6% in 2022 to 3.1% in 2025.
Procaccini highlighted falling unemployment, especially among women, and improved financial market perception.
However, Italy’s household purchasing power remains lower than in 2019.
De Sio noted: Salaries are among the lowest in Europe, while prices in some Italian cities have become among the highest.
Analysts say the government has avoided deep economic reforms needed for competitiveness and innovation.
MEP Sandro Gozi said: A liberal majority should have carried out yearly reforms to liberalize the market, but it limited itself to protecting vested interests from corporations.
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Meloni invested heavily in reshaping Europe’s migration approach, notably during the 2023 Lampedusa crisis.
Her strategy led to the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which overhauled EU migration rules.
Italy’s establishment of an asylum-seeker processing center in Albania in 2024 set a controversial precedent.
Critics argue the scheme lacks adequate migrant safeguards, with Gozi calling it a national failure turned European.
Meloni’s final year may be her toughest, with a failed judicial reform referendum and pressure from the far-right flank.
Procaccini said: She wants to govern and knows that an unstable coalition would be worse than not winning elections.
The deficit reduction is partly due to the €225 billion Italy received under its recovery plan since 2021. However, with these funds set to expire next year, Italy risks overtaking Greece as the EU country with the highest public debt.
As of 2025, over 100,000 Italians continue to leave the country annually, seeking better opportunities abroad. This ongoing trend highlights the challenges Meloni’s government faces in addressing Italy’s deep-rooted economic and social issues.
