“Today, our government becomes the longest-serving in the history of the Italian Republic,” Meloni, the leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party who became Italy’s first woman prime minister when the coalition she heads won the 2022 general election, said via social media.

“It is a fact that I welcome with gratitude and a strong sense of responsibility. Because stability is not a record to flaunt, it is a condition that enables a nation to plan, make decisions, keep its commitments, and command respect”.

The stability is unusual for Italy, where governments usually collapse with ease.

Meloni, who is celebrating the milestone with a rally in the southern city of Bari, says this has enabled Italy to bolster its standing on the international arena and secure key victories, such as those regarding changes to the EU’s rules on migration.

She can boast having increased the number of people in employment by over one million under her watch and having reduced income taxes for lower earners and the middle class by around 21 billion euros.

Her government has also won plaudits for its prudent management of the nation’s public finances, which has helping bring down bond yields.
“In recent years we have worked to increase employment, reduce unemployment, support families and businesses, strengthen security, manage public finances responsibly, and restore Italy’s influence and credibility on the international stage,” Meloni said.

“We have achieved results, but we are well aware of how much still remains to be done”.

Italy’s opposition parties, however, say the last four years have been wasted.

They point to low levels of economic growth, the fact that, while income taxes have been reduced, the overall tax burden has increased, a drop in health spending in relation to GDP and the failure to deliver major reforms.

Meloni’s biggest defeat since taking office was the rejection of her government’s Constitutional reform to overhaul the judiciary in a referendum earlier this year.