Giorgia Meloni’s first 100 days in office: what has the Italian prime minister done so far?

Giorgia Meloni was elected president last October as alarm bells rang across Europe.

As a far-right leader with a bone to pick with the EU, her crushing election puzzled political commentators, who labeled her with a series of inflammatory epithets: “Eurosceptic”, “radical”, “demagogue”, even Europe’s “most dangerous woman”. “.

But as Meloni marks her first 100 days as prime minister, how has her premiership held up to such predictions?

Has she followed her election campaign mantra that “playtime is over” for Brussels, or has she opted for a meek stance to curry favor with Italy’s European allies?

Here’s a list of some of Giorgia Meloni’s most significant steps since being elected:

Cracking at rave parties

Few would have thought that Meloni’s “playtime is over” motto would take such a literal turn, but it seems her intention to stop the fun and games was no joke – indeed, one of her first decisions as prime minister was to “anti-rave” decree cracking down on unauthorized mass parties.

Meloni and her government defended the decision – which would see organizers of such gatherings face hefty fines and up to six years in prison – as a necessary measure to curb partygoers’ antics and align Italy’s rules with those of its European peers .

“We have shown that the state will not turn a blind eye and will not act when faced with violations of the law,” she said at a news conference.

However, critics viewed the move as a “distraction” from more pressing political concerns and feared it could limit students’ freedom to protest.

Migrant quarrel with France

Shortly after taking office, Meloni found herself in hot waters after falling out with France over a migrant rescue ship.

In November, SOS Méditeranee’s Ocean Viking ship – which was carrying more than 200 migrants – was rejected by Italy and then forced to dock in the French port city of Toulon, drawing the wrath of France.

It comes as no surprise that the prime minister’s first spat would end with Italy’s western neighbour, given her own longstanding animosity towards French President Emmanuel Macron and his migration policies.

On a 2019 talk show, Meloni had criticized France’s “exploitative” economic relationship with former colonies such as Burkina Faso, arguing that the solution to Africa’s problems was not to “relocate Africans to Europe”, but to “liberate Africa from certain Europeans”.

The prime minister has used her criticism of French imperialist activities to justify her anti-migration stance. In fact, prior to her election, she proposed a naval blockade to crack down on migrants crossing the Mediterranean.

While such fraught language may have subsided in recent times, Meloni’s iron-fisted rhetoric on migration has certainly not softened. Indeed, its latest decree directly targets and limits the life-saving activities of non-governmental organizations at sea.

But for all the grand and bold predictions, the reality on the ground would indicate that her promises have not been kept.

Statistics released by the Interior Ministry prove that the arrival of migrant boats has not only not slowed down, but has grown dramatically since Meloni took office. The first ten days of the new year alone recorded an 880% increase over 2022.

An EU-friendly budget

For weeks, Brussels officials waited with bated breath as Meloni’s cabinet deliberated its budget plan for 2023.

But concerns were allayed when it was announced that the new government’s plans for Italy’s debt-ridden economy would be significantly closer to the EU line than some had expected.

The budget law – which was approved by parliament in record time – includes proposals such as tax breaks of 21 million euros to relieve companies of the burden of the energy crisis, as well as tax incentives and a lower retirement age.

While some of the plan’s measures remained controversial — especially a higher limit on cash payments — it showed greater restraint than what had been touted by Meloni’s right-wing bloc on the campaign trail.

Meloni herself then embarked on a charm offensive with Brussels, courting EU President Ursula von der Leyen on her first trip abroad, a move analysts attribute to Italy’s dire need to leverage its €190bn post-COVID EU recovery funds. – that in itself is a series of reforms.

“It would have been unthinkable for Meloni to risk missing out on this money. Failure would have been a tragedy,” Daniele Albertazzi, a professor of politics at the University of Surrey, told Reuters.

“She behaved the only way she could.”

Maintain Italy’s support for Ukraine

Giorgia Meloni was sworn in on a pledge that she would maintain her steadfast support for Ukraine as it fends off the Russian invasion, and certainly hasn’t reversed any of her commitments — much to the satisfaction of Kiev.

It appears that Meloni has been willing to keep her mouth shut as further reports indicate that Italy and France are just days away from striking a deal to supply Ukraine with a SAMP/T “Mamba” air defense system.

However, the loyalty of the Prime Minister and her cabinet to Ukaine could not be taken for granted.

Despite hosting a large proportion of Ukrainian refugees, Italy remains one of the most Russia-friendly countries in Western Europe. Burdened by decades of economic hardship and the scars of COVID-19, many Italians are reluctant to support sanctions, a sentiment populist politicians – many belonging to her own bloc – are willing to capitalize on.

Some of Meloni’s colleagues have settled in the Kremlin. Fellow coalition leader Silvio Berlusconi is a longtime confidant of President Vladimir Putin, who was recorded last October admitting to exchanging gifts and “kind letters” with the maligned Russian leader.

And Matteo Salvini – appointed by Meloni as deputy prime minister – had previously spoken favorably of Russia and donned a Putin T-shirt in 2014.

Taking journalists to court

Italy has long been ranked as one of the worst countries in Western Europe for journalists, ranking 58th. World Press Freedom Index 2022.

Some journalists have expressed concern that Meloni’s election victory has made life even more challenging for reporters in Italy, especially those on the left.

While Meloni – a journalist herself – has expressed her support for press freedom, critics point to hostile behavior by members of her party, Brothers of Italy, towards left-wing journalists, as well as legal threats from the right-wing leader herself against dissent voices, as signs of a deteriorating situation.

Among them is Rula Jebreal, a Palestinian-Italian journalist and academic, who was threatened with legal action after allegations she made about Meloni’s views on immigration.

“[Meloni and her party] wants to take down anyone who ever dares to criticize their policies,” she told Euronews. “It’s a sign of things to come.”

But while Meloni ultimately failed to sue Jebreal, she did not spare another journalist: Roberto Saviano.

In October, she decided to sue Saviano – one of Italy’s most prominent anti-mafia campaigners and an outspoken Meloni critic – over comments he made in 2020 in which he called her and Salvini “bastards.”

If found guilty, Saviano could face up to three years in prison, a prospect a global press freedom watchdog described as a “chilling message” to Italian journalists.

What are the analysts and the public saying?

What are commentators and the Italian public saying so far about Meloni after 100 days in office?

Analysts have found their fears of a possible far-right takeover to have subsided somewhat, though they are not convinced of Meloni’s performance.

“Her cabinet didn’t do much in the first 100 days,” Andrea Mammone, a history professor at Rome’s Sapienza University, told Euronews. “The government basically follows the EU in international politics.”

“This clearly shows how complex it is to run a country if one starts from populist principles,” he added.

According to opinion polls, Italians are generally satisfied with Meloni’s job so far. Her party, Brothers of Italy, has grown tremendously since she took office, and she currently has a 48% approval rating.

It seems that Meloni has managed to achieve a good middle position, flexing her muscles when necessary to power up her supporters — the arrest of Italy’s most wanted mafia boss earlier this month certainly boosted her image – while also trolling the Brussels line.

As Meloni continues to consolidate her power, she will likely continue this careful balancing act that has earned her significant rewards both at home and abroad. But as a string of Italian prime ministers each saw their support drop shortly after enjoying an initial ‘honeymoon’ phase, it remains to be seen whether the newly elected prime minister will manage to maintain her popularity – or suffer the same fate.