Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (AP Photo/File)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni may have told Donald Trump not to worry about her popularity and focus on his own, but she is reportedly considering postponing the country’s next general election over fears that her popularity may decline the longer she waits.Read also | “Focus on your popularity”: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni responds to US President Donald Trump’s “senseless” attacksAccording to a Bloomberg report, Meloni, Italy’s first female prime minister, has discussed the possibility of calling early elections — possibly in April 2027 — with President Sergio Mattarella, who has the constitutional power to dissolve parliament and hold a new vote.If Italy’s next general elections are held as scheduled, they are scheduled to take place in December 2027. The previous election, which brought Meloni to power, was held in September 2022.According to reports, pressure on her government has been increasing since March, when voters rejected a referendum on justice reforms. This setback was followed by the departure of three members of its management.Since then, opinion polls have shown increasing support for the far-right National Future Party.If Meloni remains in office until next September, she will become Italy’s longest-serving prime minister, surpassing Silvio Berlusconi.
Georgia Meloni vs. Donald Trump
The Bloomberg report comes days after Meloni said Trump should worry about his popularity – the US midterm elections are due to be held in November – escalating a war of words that began when he claimed the Italian leader “begged” to take a photo with him at the G7 summit last week, in France.After Meloni called the claim “completely made up,” Trump reiterated that she “begged” for a photo, linking it to what he described as her “decline in popularity.”The Italian Prime Minister then replied: “President Trump, these constant unprovoked attacks are meaningless. As for my popularity, being your friend certainly did not help it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done.”She added: “This is also what I did with regard to US military bases in Italy. Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected, which cannot be violated as long as I am Prime Minister. Italy remains a sovereign state. In any case, my popularity is not your concern. I suggest you focus on your popularity.”Italy was among several European countries that refused to allow the United States to use its facilities to launch strikes on Iran, angering Trump.
