DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇹 Austria /Elections & Politics

No One Has Stayed in Power Longer in Italy: Is Meloni the New Merkel?

From Der Standard · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • Giorgia Meloni has led Italy continuously for 1,413 days, approaching a record in a country that has had 67 governments since 1948.
  • Her tenure began with visible tension involving future coalition partner Silvio Berlusconi, who wrote a critical list about her during Parliament's opening session.
  • The article asks whether Meloni's durability in office makes her comparable to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Giorgia Meloni is nearing a record few Italian prime ministers have approached: 1,413 consecutive days at the head of a country known for unstable governments. Italy has had 67 governments since 1948.

Her rise did not begin smoothly. During the newly elected Parliament's inaugural session on Oct. 15, 2022, future coalition partner Silvio Berlusconi placed a handwritten note on his desk where television cameras could see it. The note described Meloni as presumptuous, domineering, arrogant and insulting, and said she showed no willingness to change or compromise with him.

Berlusconi had also written that Meloni was ridiculous, but crossed out that fifth point. The episode illustrated the strained relationship surrounding the formation of her government, even before her long period in office began.

The record has prompted the question in the headline: is Meloni becoming Italy's answer to Angela Merkel? The comparison rests on her unusual political durability in a system that has repeatedly changed governments.

Giorgia Meloni: Her behavior is 1. presumptuous, 2. domineering, 3. arrogant, 4. insulting. No willingness to change. It is impossible to reach an agreement with her.

— Silvio BerlusconiBerlusconi wrote the criticism on a note visible during Parliament's inaugural session in October 2022.
About this summary

Originally published by Der Standard in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog