Meloni government

Investiture vote

More information 25–26 October 2022Investiture votes for the Meloni government, House of Parliament ...

25–26 October 2022 Investiture votes for the Meloni government[37][38]
House of Parliament	Vote	Parties	Votes
Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 389 of 400, Majority: 195)	Y Yes	FdI, Lega, FI, CdI–NM–MAIE	235 / 389
	N No	PD–IDP, M5S, A–IV, AVS, +E	154 / 389
	Abstention	SVP, ScN, UV	5 / 389
Senate of the Republic (Voting: 199 of 206, Majority: 98)	Y Yes	FdI, Lega, FI, CdI–NM–MAIE	115 / 199
	N No	PD–IDP, M5S, A–IV, AVS, +E, SVP[a]	79 / 199
	Abstention	SVP, ScN	5 / 199

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Decree on protests and rallies

On 31 October 2022, the government approved a decree providing for a penalty of up to six years of imprisonment for illegal parties and rallies.^[45] This came amid anti-fascist protests at La Sapienza University,^[46] which were subject of criticism due to the police's response,^[47][48][49] and a rally in Predappio, where Benito Mussolini is buried, to commemorate the centenary of the March on Rome that led to the takeover of Mussolini and Italian fascism of the government.^[50][51] Despite being officially presented as a decree against illegal rave parties,^[52] the law was applicable to any gathering over 50 people that the public authority deemed dangerous,^[53][54][55] which garnered criticism,^[56][57][58] including from jurist Vitalba Azzolini.^[59] The decree also caused protests from opposition parties and civil rights associations; according to Amnesty International, the decree "risked undermining the right to peaceful protest",^[60] while Giuseppe Conte of the Five Star Movement compared it to a police state.^[61] The law was also contested by FI,^[62][63] which asked for changes,^[64] including the reduction of sentences to four years,^[65] while it was mainly supported by FdI and Lega,^[66] and FdI's justice minister Carlo Nordio was reportedly upset by the law.^[67]

Cultured meat ban

In March 2023, Italy's Meloni government approved a draft bill banning the production and commercialization of cultured meat for human and animal consumption;^[68][69][70] this move, which the government said was intended to protect food heritage.^[71]

Italy became the first country to ban cultured meat in November 2023, when the government approved the bill.^[72][73]

Foreign ban on surrogacys

On 16 October 2024, The Senate voted 84-58 in favor of extending a ban on surrogacy to couples who go abroad to avail of the procedure.^[74]

Autonomy

On 23 January 2024, the bill about "differentiated autonomy" (which aims to give much more autonomy to Italian regions, for a maximum of 23 specific subjects) was approved in the Senate,^[75] and it was then approved by the Chamber on 19 June.^[76] The law was criticised by the opposition and by various deputies and presidents of southern Italy (both from the majority and the opposition, such as Roberto Occhiuto of Forza Italia, president of Calabria, and Vincenzo De Luca of the PD, president of Campania),^[77] accusing the government of wanting to abandon the southern regions, favoring those of the north, and on 20 July a collection of signatures began to call an abrogative referendum.^[78][79]

Immigration

On 24 January 2024, the Chamber of Deputies approves the ratification of the protocol of understanding with Albania, already approved by the Council of Ministers on 5 December and, even earlier, signed on 6 November, on the management of migration flows.^[80] The ratification will then be approved by the Senate on 15 February.^[81]

On 22 May 2024, the Government, through Minister Matteo Piantedosi and in agreement with the Slovenian and Croatian authorities, implements a further six-month extension to the suspension of the Schengen Convention on the border with Slovenia, until 19 December;^[82] The previous five-month extension had been approved on 18 January (and would have lasted until 19 June).^[83]

The government issued over 450,000 permits to migrants between 2023 and 2025. In July 2025, it was reported that the government will issue nearly half a million or 500,000 work visas for non-EU nationals from 2026 to 2028.^[84][85][86]

Law and Order

On 15 June 2023, the Council of Ministers approved, on the proposal of Minister Nordio, a bill on justice (also known informally at first as the "Berlusconi reform" and then the "Nordio Bill"),^[87] which abolished the crime of abuse of office and redesigned the appeal procedures in the first instance initiated by prosecutors against acquittals, as well as the use and dissemination of wiretapping.^[88] The bill was then be approved by the Senate on 13 February 2024,^[89] and then by the Chamber of Deputies on 10 July.^[90]

On 7 August, a change was also made to the crime of Undue Allocation of Money or Movable Property, implemented io replace the abolished abuse of office, together with some minor corrections, in order to allow the promulgation of the previous "Nordio Bill", which had remained suspended until then due to some perplexities of the Presidency of the Republic.^[91]

On 18 September 2024, the Chamber of Deputies approved the "Safety Bill" (a modified version of the "safety package" previously approved by the Council of Ministers on 16 November 2023),^[92] which covered many subjects: terrorism; scams; protection of law enforcement; banning cannabis (in any form, as well as hemp-containing products); imprisonment (2–7 years) for those who illegally occupy a property; increase in penalties in case of protest (including passive resistance to orders) in prison; the need for a residence permit (for non-EU immigrants) to buy a SIM card; possible imprisonment (1 month if alone, 6 months–2 years if with more people) for those implementing road or railway blockades (even as a protest).^[93][94]

Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi confirmed that the rule about blockades could be applied in some strike cases.^[95] The bill was heavily criticised by the oppositions, which labelled it as "liberticidal": in particular, the "anti-Salis rule" (named after Ilaria Salis, an AVS MEP accused of illegal occupation in 2008; however, there was only one identification while she was in the plant at that moment, as the ALER had never initiated investigations, nor criminal or civil cases, in 16 years)^[96] and the "anti-Gandhi rule" were criticised, the first one because it aggravated the situation of people who had no home to stay, the second one because it could also prevent peaceful protests (such as those historically led by Gandhi).^[97][98][99]

The Lega's request to evaluate the possibility of using chemical castration on those convicted of sexual violence was also accepted (this proposal was also highly criticised).^[100]

The government has also proposed, within the security bill, the expansion of the powers of the secret services (which could participate in and/or direct terrorist or subversive groups), and the obligation for universities and public research bodies (enti pubblici di ricerca) to collaborate with the secret services (DIS, AISE, AISI), including communicating private information; both of these proposals have been harshly criticised: the first because in Italy the secret services, during the Years of Lead between 1960s and 1980s, were involved in illicit activities and massacres during the Strategy of Tension,^{[101][102][103]} and the second because it would represent an authoritarian turn on universities, with the risk of violating the privacy and communicating the political opinions of students, professors and researchers.^{[104][105][106][107]}

On 4 April 2025, the government approved a decree-law (Decreto-Legge) that almost entirely follows the previous security bill (apart from some changes), which had been sent back to the Chamber due to the lack of financial coverage and doubts raised by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, in order to speed up the approval process.

Following the entry and vandalisation of La Stampa's headquarters on 28 November 2025, the government had the thirty-year-old "Askatasuna" self-managed social center (some of whose members were part of the pro-Palestine group that attacked the newspaper) evicted and seized on 18 December,^[108][109] accusing it of being a source of aggression and violence,^[110][111] despite having been acquitted of the criminal association charge.^[112][113] The mayor of Turin said that the eviction took place due to the presence of 6 people who were sleeping in the building during a police search, which violated the legalisation process^[114] of the center, despite the dispatch of 300 police officers to the city before this discovery.^[108] Demonstrations in support of Askatasuna, which then turned into violent clashes with the police, occurred on 20 December 2025^[115] and 31 January 2026;^[116][117] the management of the clashes was criticised due to the deployment of untrained officers^[118] and the violence used by the police against journalists, photographers, and protesters, even peaceful ones.^{[119][120][121]}

On 29 March 2026, Lega introduced a bill to ban anarchist associations and designate "Antifa" as "terrorist organizations", calling for "zero tolerance against accomplices of terrorists".^[122][123]

On April 17 2026, a new security decree was approved, containing measures such as: a 12-hour preventive detention for "dangerous individuals" before demonstrations; a ban on access to demonstrations for individuals previously convicted of "serious crimes"; make it illegal to carry knives with blades of 5 cm or longer outside home "without a valid reason"; less chance of obtaining extenuating circumstances for drug possession; increased penalties for theft; provide an extra compensation of 615 euros for lawyers assisting migrants applying for voluntary repatriation; registration in a separate register (not that of "suspects") for those who acted in the presence of a "justifying cause"; and the fact that the State pays the legal costs, starting from the preliminary investigation phase, of police officers, armed forces or firefighters reported for acts committed on duty.^{[124][125][126][127]} The decree was criticised by the opposition and by the Consiglio Nazionale Forense for the extra payment to lawyers, the latter claiming to have never been informed of it and calling for the elimination of that part;^[127] the High Council of the Judiciary criticised the preventive detention, expressing concern about the respect for human rights.^[128]

Healthcare

Italy's healthcare system is organised in the framework of the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, a broad public system encompassing institutions ranging from the Ministry of Health to medical service providers at the regional level.^[129] Citizens of Italy are universally eligible to the services of the SSN, receiving care for either free or low cost.^[130] During the COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated Italy, the SSN's shortcomings regarding the fragmentation and uneven administrative capacities became more evident, serving as a ground for opposition parties, such as FdI, to criticise such weaknesses.^[131] Due to the regional fragmentation, the allocation of resources is inefficient, standardises protocols are not feasible and research is hindered.^[132]

In 2024, the Meloni government formulated and enacted a new decree, proceeding towards the centralised coordination of the Italian healthcare system. The law introduced a national system for monitoring waiting lists, while also supporting the cooperation of the public and private sector in healthcare, including the practice of intramoenia. The legislation proposal also aimed to expand personnel and give certain tax cuts to healthcare workers.^[133] Moreover, the government put emphasis on the need to tackle the shortage of nurses and non-medical specialists with increased allocation of investments.^[134]

The Meloni government promised that the health fund will reach €136.5 billion in 2025 and €140 billion in 2026.^[135] Critics argue that the healthcare spending undertaken by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, was not delivered. They claim that rather a fraction of the initially announced budget was provided for the fund, while Meloni spoke of it as a record level in healthcare spending.^[136] Unsatisfied with the 2025 budget proposal, healthcare workers went on strike in November 2024. Furthermore, as the problem of long waiting lists persists, many citizens turn their backs on prescribed treatments and enraged by the situation, there is an increase in the reported aggressive acts against medical staff.^[137][138]

Labour market regulation and safety

On 4 May 2023, on the proposal of Minister of Labour and Social Policies Marina Elvira Calderone, the government approved a decree called Decreto Lavoro (DL48/2023)^[139] introducing new measures concerning work contracts and unemployment benefits. The decree, later converted into Law n. 85 on 3 July 2023, makes substantial changes to the fixed term contract laws, allowing temporary employment agreements longer than 12 months only in specific conditions such as replacements of other workers or needs required by collective bargaining. It also simplified employers' disclosure requirements and introduced benefits for hiring people under 30, specifically providing a tax incentive equal to 60% of the gross monthly remuneration for a period of 12 months for employers who hire young people registered in the Garanzia giovani [it] program (article 27), and for hiring Inclusion Allowance [it] (Assegno di Inclusione; ADI) beneficiaries, for which a total exemption from social security contributions (up to €8,000 annually) is guaranteed (Article 10).

Finally, the decree strengthened health and safety regulations (Article 14), revising Italy's Consolidated Act on Health and Safety in the Workplace (D.Lgs. 81/2008^[140]) and, specifically under Article 18, extended compulsory INAIL insurance coverage to students and teaching staff involved in vocational training and PCTO (school-work alternation programs [it]).^[141][142]

The "Decreto Lavoro" sparked significant debate among political parties, trade unions, and economic institutions. The major Italian trade unions (CGIL and UIL, historically hostile against right-wing governments) and the opposition parties (in particular PD and M5S) criticised the relaxation of rules on fixed-term contracts, claiming that it would increase job insecurity (precariato) without solving structural employment issues.^[143] On the other hand, business associations such as Confindustria welcomed the greater flexibility and the reduction of the tax wedge, although they considered the cuts insufficient to fully relaunch competitiveness in economy.^[144]

Welfare reform

The decree also reformed the social safety net, replacing the old Reddito di Cittadinanza with two new instruments of poverty alleviation and unemployment support: the Inclusion Allowance (Assegno di Inclusione) and the Support for Training and Work [it] (Supporto per la Formazione e il Lavoro; SFL). ADI, effective since 1 January 2024, is reserved for households containing members who are minors, persons with disabilities, individuals over the age of 60, or those in disadvantaged conditions certified by public social services. Eligibility is subject to a residency requirement of five years (reduced from the ten years required for the Reddito di Cittadinanza) and an equivalent economic situation indicator [it] (ISEE) threshold of €9,360. The other new income support (SFL) became operational on 1 September 2023 and targets "employable" individuals between the ages of 18 and 59 who do not qualify for the Inclusion Allowance and have an ISEE not exceeding €6,000. Unlike the household-based ADI, the SFL is a personal benefit providing €350 per month for a maximum non-renewable duration of 12 months. The payment is strictly conditional on the beneficiary's active participation in training, qualification, or labour activation programs managed through the new Information System for Social and Work Inclusion (Sistema Informatico per l'Inclusione Sociale e Lavorativa, SIISL).^[145][146]

The Bank of Italy provided a technical analysis of the transition from the Reddito di Cittadinanza to the new ADI/SFL system. In a hearing before the Parliament the Bank noted that while the reform strengthens incentives to work, the stricter eligibility criteria for the Inclusion Allowance could leave a significant portion of households previously covered by the Reddito di Cittadinanza without support, particularly those who are poor but theoretically "employable".^{[147][148][149]}

2026 constitutional referendum

In March 2026, Meloni's government held a constitutional referendum where voters were asked whether they approved a constitutional law, often called the "Nordio Reform" (Riforma Nordio) after Carlo Nordio (the Minister of Justice), that would amend the Italian Constitution in various aspects, most notably by proposing the constitutional separation of career paths between judges and public prosecutors, the splitting of the High Council of the Judiciary (CSM) into two distinct bodies, and the selection of members by sortition rather than traditional election, as well as the establishment of a High Disciplinary Court to oversee disciplinary proceedings. The government-initiated constitutional bill was approved by the Senate of the Republic on 30 October 2025. Since it did not reach the qualified two-thirds majority in each chamber of Italian Parliament during the parliamentary approval process, pursuant to Article 138 of the Italian Constitution, the necessary signatures were collected to request a confirmatory constitutional referendum. A quorum is not required for the referendum to be valid, and the Nordio law submitted to the referendum would be promulgated if confirmed by a majority of valid votes. Meloni's government supported and campaigned in favour of its passing. However, the victory of the "No" side was widely seen as a blow to her government and a boost to opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.^[150]

European Union

While Giorgia Meloni and Antonio Tajani expressed pro-European positions,^{[151][152][153][154][155]} Meloni has also been described as anti-federalist (she herself wants a confederal Europe)^[156][157] and nationalist;^[158] this claim has been supported also by other European leaders such as Victor Orban, who said he and Meloni are "patriots" and that they want less power for the EU.^[159] Matteo Salvini has been critical of the European Union in many ways, blaming the EU economic policies and bureaucracy instead of Trump's tariffs,^{[160][161][162][163]} disagreeing with Tajani on the formation of a European army,^[164] mocking French president Emmanuel Macron,^[165][166] and stating that he does not want a "European superstate".^[167]

The entire government has been more united on some criticisms of the EU, such as the European Green Deal^{[168][169][170]} and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, which accused Italian police of racial profiling, with particular regard to Roma people and people of African origin.^{[171][172][173]}

US, Trump, and NATO

Meloni and her government have been described as Atlanticists, something that she herself also claims,^[151][174] and that they worked to keep Europe and the United States united.^[175][176] This pro-US position was also supported by Forza Italia and by the foreign minister Tajani.^{[175][177][178]} Lega's leader, Matteo Salvini, has taken a pro-Trump position, celebrating his victory in the 2024 presidential election;^[179] wanting to imitate him in leaving the WHO;^[180] supporting his work in the Gaza War;^[181] suggesting that he should receive the Nobel Peace Prize;^[161] and defending the US sanctions,^[182] also considering them an opportunity for Italy.^{[183][184][185]}

After Trump's statements about wanting Greenland, Meloni criticised the threat of tariffs on European countries that do not agree with the will of the USA,^[186][187] adding that she does not believe the US will attack the island and that there is a need for a strong NATO presence in the Arctic,^[188] and that she does not exclude an Italian presence on Greenland,^[189] but that it should be discussed with NATO.^[190] Salvini welcomed Trump's threat of a 200% tariff on French wines, saying it would be good for Italian wines.^[191][192] Claudio Borghi, a Lega's senator, also expressed his appreciation for asymmetric tariffs, including those on wine, reiterating that they represent an opportunity;^[193][194] Borghi also stated that Greenland's utility "right now is only cod fishing" and that it can be left to Trump, and that he believes that Trump is interested in the island only because "he sees it big on the map".^[193][194]

Russia and Ukraine

Giorgia Meloni criticised Russian aggression and supported the Ukrainian resistance, even with weapons, but always opposed the deployment of Italian troops.^{[195][196][197]} While Tajani has fully supported this strategy,^[198][199] the former leader of Forza Italia, Silvio Berlusconi, had been criticised (also by the prime minister) for his closeness to Putin even during the war,^{[200][201][202][203][204]} despite later retracting various statements on him.^[204] Matteo Salvini and the Lega, on the contrary, have always been skeptical on support for Ukraine, criticising the sending of money and weapons.^{[205][206][207]} Salvini also accepted Putin's victory in 2024 Russian presidential elections,^[208] even if both the United States and the European Union said that the elections were neither free nor fair.^[209]

Israel and Palestine

The Italian government has declared its support for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, and criticised human rights violations and the establishment of new settlements in the West Bank,^[210] but it also criticised the recognition of the state of Palestine by other European countries,^{[211][212][213]} stating instead that this can only happen when all the hostages will be freed and Hamas will no longer be in control of Gaza,^[214] and with a clear definition of the borders.^[215]

The government criticised the Global Sumud Flotilla, calling it irresponsible, and stating that "there is no need to risk one's safety by entering a war zone to deliver aid to Gaza that the Italian government could have delivered in a few hours". Giorgia Meloni also stated that Italian activists' aim wasn't helping the people of Gaza, but attacking the Italian government.^{[216][217][218]} The government then sent two frigates to protect the Italian citizens part of the Flotilla,^{[219][220][221]} but withdrew them 150 miles away from Gaza.^[222][223] Questioned about the blockade of the Gaza Strip imposed by Israel, Tajani said that he believed it to be a violation of law, but that "what international law says is valid only up to a certain point".^[224]

While Meloni has not openly criticised or supported the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu, she stated that there can be no equivalence between "the responsibilities of the State of Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas",^[225][226] Foreign Minister Tajani said they will evaluate what to do,^[227] the president of the senators Maurizio Gasparri took a stand against the sentence,^[228] the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto said he disapproved the sentence but that it must be applied,^[227][229] and Matteo Salvini called it an "absurd request" and a "pro-Islamic political sentence",^[227][228] later stating that Netanyahu would be welcome and that "the war criminals are others".^{[230][231][232]} Despite Netanyahu's several flights over Italy, the government has never called for his arrest, a move criticised by the opposition and Amnesty International.^{[233][234][235][236]}

Antonio Tajani, Guido Crosetto and Giorgia Meloni said that the Government suspended new arms shipments to Israel after 7 October 2023,^{[237][238][239][240]} but existing contracts remained active.^{[241][242][243]}

Venezuela

The Italian government has not recognised Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela, following electoral fraud in the 2024 elections.^{[244][245][246]}

After the United States strikes on Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro, Tajani said that Italy supports Venezuelan people,^[247] and the government stated that military actions are not the way to end "totalitarian regimes", but that it considers a defensive intervention "against hybrid attacks on its own security" legitimate, as in the case of "state entities that support and promote drug trafficking".^[248][244]

Iran

After the start of the 2026 Iran-US War, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini stated that "whoever intervened in Iran did the right thing", because "diplomacy is always better" but "with certain people it must be accompanied by something else",^[249] also saying that there are "tens of nostalgic communists who even manage to defend the criminal Ayatollah",^[250] while remaining opposed to sending troops.^{[251][252][253]} Salvini stated that the intervention was justified by the construction of atomic bombs and by the fact that Iran is "a bloodthirsty regime" that "wants to wipe out Western countries",^[254][252] while Foreign Minister Tajani said that Iran's rigidity in negotiations and the refusal to give up the atomic bomb had provoked the US and Israeli reaction.^[255][249]

Meloni stated that she neither supports nor condemns the military action in Iran, that she does not have "the elements to take a position", and that "except for the Spanish Prime Minister, no one else has condemned the initiative".^[256]

Ministers

Ministers and other members

• Brothers of Italy (FdI): prime minister, 9 ministers, 4 deputy ministers, 14 undersecretaries
• Lega: 5 ministers, 2 deputy ministers, 9 undersecretaries
• Forza Italia (FI): 5 ministers, 2 deputy ministers, 6 undersecretaries
• Independents: 5 ministers, 1 undersecretary
• Us Moderates (NM): 1 undersecretary
• Renaissance (Rin): 1 undersecretary

Ministers

Ministers and other members

• Brothers of Italy (FdI): prime minister, 9 ministers, 3 deputy ministers, 14 undersecretaries
• League (Lega): 5 ministers, 2 deputy ministers, 9 undersecretaries
• Forza Italia (FI): 5 ministers, 2 deputy ministers, 7 undersecretaries
• Independents: 5 ministers, 2 undersecretaries
• Us Moderates (NM): 1 undersecretary