New stability record for Italy’s Meloni may prove fleeting

ROME – In a country famed for political instability, Giorgia Meloni is poised to lead Italy’s longest-lasting government since World War II, overtaking a record of 1,412 consecutive days set by Silvio Berlusconi in 2005. Meloni, who has tempered her populist instincts with pragmatism since taking power in October 2022, plans to hold a rally on Sept. 4 to celebrate the milestone, framing the durability of her coalition as one of its crowning achievements. After cycling through 68 governments in 80 years, Italy has proved much steadier during a period of global conflict than France, which has had five prime ministers since the autumn of 2022, while Britain has got through four.