Giorgia Meloni is coming under increasing pressure because of the social concerns of the Italian population.Image: keystone
Giorgia Meloni is faltering in Italy: after the failure of her referendum, the opposition is attacking her leadership profile, and the once unshakable winning image is beginning to crumble – despite a coalition that is still holding.
Mar 24, 2026, 10:44 p.mMar 24, 2026, 10:44 p.m
Dario THUBURN / AFP
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who suffered a major defeat on Monday after rejecting the judicial referendum she initiated, has been on a roll so far heading into next year’s elections. The opposition immediately portrayed this referendum as a vote on Meloni’s leadership style and quickly used the result to their advantage.
Elly Schlein, leader of the main center-left Democratic Party, criticized Meloni’s “arrogance” and said she should “listen to the country and its real priorities.”
“If a politician loses his charisma, everyone around him begins to doubt – and pretending that nothing has happened is simply not possible,” warned Matteo Renzi, former prime minister who resigned almost ten years ago after losing a referendum, on Radio Leopolda. Giuseppe Conte, former head of government and head of the 5th agency, also spoke of an “expulsion notice” for Meloni.
According to the left-leaning daily La Repubblica, this failure represents “the first real defeat” of Giorgia Meloni.
Despite everything, a stable government
Daniele Albertazzi, professor of political science at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, said:
“I do not believe that this will in any way affect the stability of the government, which is now probably the most stable in the history of the Republic.”
But “the image of invincibility (editor’s note: by Meloni) is no longer relevant,” even if “of course that doesn’t immediately mean that she will lose the elections,” he added. Despite the differences within her ultra-conservative coalition, Meloni’s government has been remarkably stable since taking office in 2022.
Thanks to her pragmatic demeanor, Meloni was able to win over many skeptics. Her earlier hymns of praise for the fascist Benito Mussolini as a young activist are now hardly an issue anymore.
The connection to Trump hurt Meloni.
Although the Italian economy remains heavily indebted, growth has been maintained, thanks in particular to a massive infusion of funds from the EU’s coronavirus recovery plan. On the international stage, she sought to position Italy as a voice of moderation against the sometimes harsh rhetoric between US President Donald Trump and the EU.
But her closeness to Donald Trump is also bringing her increasing criticism, especially with regard to his actions in the Middle East. Italy, which relies heavily on energy imports, is particularly concerned about the war’s impact on gasoline prices.
It is close to Donald Trump and there are also criticisms, which concern the actions of this country in Moyen-Orient. L’Italie, qui dependent fortement des importations d’énergie, s’inquiète tout particulièrement de l’impact de la guerre sur les prix de l’essence.
Carlo Calenda, opposition senator, wrote on However, her party, Fratelli d’Italia (FDI), is still ahead in the polls, and Giorgia Meloni has won over many critics with her way of governing, which is both intense and down-to-earth.
These are the real problems of the people of Italy
Illegal immigration – a key issue in the last election campaign of Giorgia Meloni and her allies – is decreasing, but the government has also increased the number of visas for legal non-EU workers. Rome has cut some taxes and increased penalties for protesters, but has not yet addressed the structural problems that many see as slowing Italy down.
Surveys show that Italians are particularly concerned about the loss of purchasing power and stagnating wages. Another major criticism concerns the state of the public health system, whose investments have not kept pace with inflation. Debt remains at a staggering 137% of gross domestic product, and growth was just 0.5% last year. (fwa)