Meloni prepares Italy tour after being moved by Bari crowd

Giorgia Meloni said she was moved by the crowd in Bari as she marked the record longevity of her government. Her comments came as she began considering a more visible domestic campaign and the search for new candidates ahead of the next election.

“It was moving to see so many people and so much enthusiasm in Bari. And it was very important for me,” Meloni told Corriere. She said the scenes motivated her through nearly four years of work and difficulties, adding that Brothers of Italy’s strong support after four years in government showed that the party had not disappointed voters who trusted it in 2022.

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It was moving to see so many people and so much enthusiasm in Bari. And it was very important for me.

The prime minister stayed in Puglia on Friday and made a surprise visit the following day to Policoro, in Basilicata, to inspect the town after it was hit by a tornado the previous week. The article presents the trip as part of a possible change in strategy for Meloni’s final year at Palazzo Chigi: travel more around Italy, explain what the government has done and outline what it intends to do.

That approach could come at the expense of international commitments considered avoidable. Meloni will skip the United Nations assembly in New York, where Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will represent Italy. Her schedule also includes the inauguration of Risò in Vercelli on Friday and a possible closing appearance at the Gioventù nazionale Fenix festival in Rome on September 20.

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Those scenes motivate me to face, after almost four years, the enormous work and many difficulties.

The government is preparing for different electoral scenarios, including a possible election in late spring alongside municipal elections in Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin and Bologna. The timing could depend on the final budget package and Eurostat’s September 22 assessment of whether Italy has left the excessive-deficit procedure. If the deficit-to-GDP ratio remains above 3 percent, the vote could come sooner. Matteo Salvini and Antonio Tajani continue to argue for the legislature to run its full term.

Inside Brothers of Italy, the article says lists are already being discussed quietly. A new electoral law expected in October could change candidate selection, with about 85 lower-house and 40 Senate candidates considered safe as lead candidates. Others would need to win preference votes.

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The support for Brothers of Italy, so high after four years in government, shows that we have not disappointed those who trusted us in 2022.