Meloni’s Local Election Wins Blow Apart Italy’s Collapse Narrative

Giorgia Meloni’s critics were ready to talk about collapse, but Italy’s latest local election results tell a very different story. Nearly four years into power, her right-wing coalition is still winning, still holding together, and still defying predictions of decline. Michael Heaver looks at the results across Italy, including the major Venice mayoral vote where the Meloni-backed candidate won more than 50% and avoided a run-off. He explains how the right has scored strong results across the country, despite recent doubts after a referendum setback and despite Italy’s policy room being heavily constrained by Brussels. Meloni’s own response was pointed: the much-heralded collapse of the centre-right has been postponed again.