Meloni breaks Berlusconi’s record for longest-serving uninterrupted government, longest since WWII

In a country where governments are famously short-lived, the perceived success of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has often been attributed to her survival skills rather than her accomplishments.

On Thursday, after 1,413 days — nearly four years — Meloni’s conservative administration became Italy’s longest-serving uninterrupted government since World War II, surpassing the record set by the late Silvio Berlusconi between 2001 and 2005.

None of Italy’s 68 governments in the country’s 80 years as a republic has yet to complete a five-year term without interruption.

Berlusconi came closest, but a government crisis forced him to resign briefly in 2005 before forming a new Cabinet.

Meloni and her party will celebrate their feat on Friday with a large preelection rally in the southern city of Bari.

Meloni, straightforward and pragmatic, has managed to stave off the crises and defections that have toppled past governments.

The results — or lack of results — from this uncharacteristic period of stability may ultimately define Meloni’s legacy and her odds of winning another term.

“If you have five years in office and not much to show when you go back to voters, it can weigh against you,” said Nathalie Tocci, an international relations expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University.

From outsider to insider When Meloni took office in October 2022, she was Italy’s first female prime minister.

Her government was also the first led by a party with neo-fascist roots, and European allies and financial markets viewed her with unease.

But Meloni has largely governed pragmatically.

She maintained steadfast support for Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion, worked within European institutions and embraced fiscal discipline.

Her relationship with U.S.

President Donald Trump became one of her most notable foreign policy assets — at least initially.