Challenges Faced by Giorgia Meloni: Obstacles and Turning Points

Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Giorgia Meloni. A timeline of obstacles and growth.

Giorgia Meloni is an Italian politician, currently serving as Prime Minister of Italy since 2022, the first woman to hold this position. She has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2006. Meloni leads the Brothers of Italy (FdI), a right-wing to far-right party, since 2014. She also served as president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party from 2020 to 2025.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1993: Opposition to the Mancino Law

Giorgia Meloni has opposed the 1993 Mancino law, a hate speech law in Italy.

2015: Blaming neo-colonialism for Africa's underdevelopment

Giorgia Meloni has blamed neo-colonialism for Africa's underdevelopment and the 2015 European migrant crisis, advocating for cooperation over what she termed France's neocolonialism.

2016: Unsuccessful Run in Rome Municipal Election

In 2016, Giorgia Meloni unsuccessfully ran in the Rome municipal election.

2016: Lost municipal election for mayor of Rome

Meloni lost the municipal election to become mayor of Rome in 2016.

August 2018: Description as Far-Right Politician

In August 2018, Giorgia Meloni was described as having a long history in far-right politics by Friedel Taube in Deutsche Welle.

March 2022: Killings in Bucha

In March 2022, Russian forces killed more than 400 Ukrainians in Bucha, in the suburbs of Kyiv.

July 2022: Rejection of Far-Right Label

In July 2022, Giorgia Meloni rejected descriptions of her politics as far-right in an interview with The Spectator, calling it a smear campaign and identifying as a mainstream conservative.

2022: Pledged to review COVID-19 policies

After her party won the 2022 Italian general election, Meloni and her party pledged to review the positions taken by the Italian government during the COVID-19 pandemic and end the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place for health care workers.

February 2023: Migrant boat sinking near Crotone

In February 2023, a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Steccato di Cutro, Calabria, resulting in at least 86 deaths. Meloni expressed sorrow and condemned human traffickers.

March 2023: Calls for resignation of Interior Minister Piantedosi

In March 2023, Elly Schlein and other political figures called for the resignation of Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi following the migrant boat sinking in February.

May 2023: Floods in Emilia-Romagna and government response

In May 2023, severe floods affected the Emilia-Romagna region, resulting in casualties and displacement. The government approved a €2 billion recovery package. Meloni and Ursula von der Leyen visited the flooded areas.

September 2023: Migration Crisis on Lampedusa

In September 2023, more than 120 boats carrying approximately 7,000 migrants from Africa arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa within 24 hours, leading to a migration crisis. Giorgia Meloni requested the European Commission president to assess the situation and accelerate the implementation of the agreement with Tunisia.

June 2024: Criticism of EU Ban on Petrol and Diesel Car Sales

In June 2024, Giorgia Meloni criticised the EU ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 that would "condemn [Europe] to new strategic dependencies, such as China's electric [vehicles]"

August 2024: Calling court case over social policy "surrealist"

On 12 August 2024, Meloni described as "surrealist" the court case initiated by the European Commission over the Italian government's social policy favoring Italians over recent non-citizen immigrants.

October 2024: Condemnation of Israeli attacks on UNIFIL bases in Lebanon

In October 2024, Giorgia Meloni condemned Israeli attacks on UNIFIL bases in Lebanon.

December 2024: Arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Tehran

On December 19, 2024, Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested in Tehran and placed in solitary confinement. It became public on December 27. By December 30, Iran confirmed the arrest, citing violation of laws. This followed Italy's arrest of Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi at Milan Malpensa Airport at the request of the United States, three days prior.

January 2025: Arrest and Release of Libyan General Osama Elmasry Njeem

In January 2025, Libyan general Osama Elmasry Njeem was arrested near Juventus Stadium in Turin after a Juventus-Milan match. He was indicted by the ICC for war crimes. The court of appeal of Rome ordered his release on January 21 due to irregularities in the arrest. Subsequently, he was expelled and repatriated to Libya. On January 27, the Tribunal of Ministers became involved to assess whether PM Meloni and other ministers should be investigated for aiding and abetting and embezzlement.