Schlein and Conte attack Meloni: “Four years of nothing”

As Giorgia Meloni celebrated her government’s record time in office in Bari, opposition leaders turned the anniversary into an indictment of her record. Elly Schlein said the government should focus on workers and companies facing crises instead of celebrating itself.

Schlein cited 2,500 dismissal notices sent to workers connected to the former Ilva steelworks in Taranto. She also pointed to Electrolux’s confirmed redundancy plan and the closure of its Cerreto d’Esi plant. “Instead of wasting time celebrating itself, the government should deal with the disputes affecting workers, families and businesses,” she said.

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Instead of wasting time celebrating itself, the government should deal with the disputes affecting workers, families and businesses, and tackle the issues it has failed to resolve in these four years.

The Democratic Party leader accused Meloni’s government of relying on social media posts, videos and promotional booklets while Italians faced higher energy costs than elsewhere in Europe, low wages, soaring fuel prices and a 30% increase in grocery costs. She promised solidarity and concrete solutions to workers at the two plants, saying Italians were worse off after four years of the Meloni government.

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Four years of nothing, of inertia, is not a merit but an aggravating factor.

Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement, rejected the idea that longevity represented an achievement. “Four years of nothing, of inertia, is not a merit but an aggravating factor,” he said. Conte cited zero growth, Italy’s position at the bottom of Europe, rising tax pressure and record household costs.

Matteo Renzi mocked Meloni’s celebration and said her next goal was to match Benito Mussolini, though he considered that unlikely. The Green and Left Alliance held a flash mob outside Palazzo Chigi, where Angelo Bonelli compared Meloni with Donald Trump and accused her of cynical selfishness over the climate crisis. The opposition is seeking to recast the anniversary as a record of damage that Italians are still paying for.

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Giorgia Meloni today cannot contain herself. She is bursting with joy because her government is the longest-serving in republican history. The next goal is to match Mussolini.