Meloni reviews four years in office, projects 1.0% GDP growth, and rejects Draghi European vision

Domestic governance and economic forecasts

Giorgia Meloni assessed her four years in office during an interview with Il Foglio director Claudio Cerasa, marking nearly 48 months in power. The prime minister projected Italy's 2026 economic growth at 1.0% based on first-half data, comparing it with the government's 0.6% forecast in April and a 0.9% estimate released by the Parliamentary Budget Office (UPB) in August. Meloni defended her administration's economic record, arguing that while overall fiscal pressure metrics remained steady, specific tax burdens on businesses, families, and workers decreased. She noted that legal reforms had advanced despite voters rejecting the justice referendum. Describing the administrative apparatus in Rome, Meloni compared governing to swimming in glue due to hidden structural obstacles.

Government forecast (April)0.6%

UPB forecast (August)0.9%

Meloni estimate (September)1%

Government forecast (April)

0.6 %

UPB forecast (August)

0.9 %

Meloni estimate (September)

1 %

Data from the article text

Foreign policy and military aid to Ukraine

Addressing Italy's foreign commitments, Meloni reiterated Rome's continuous military and political support for Ukraine. She linked national defense to Italian domestic security, arguing that a breakdown of international rules would directly harm Italy. Meloni rejected alliances with domestic parties that oppose military assistance to Kyiv, framing the decision as an obligation of patriotism rather than electoral expediency. The premier likened national defense spending to household security investments, maintaining that Fratelli d'Italia had avoided demagogy on military budgets. She added that European nations had reacted with greater determination than Moscow anticipated.

“When you define yourself as a patriot the first question you must answer is: are you able to put the Homeland before yourself? That is the point. For me in these years it would have been electorally more advantageous not to support Ukraine, rather than doing so. Only I did not support Ukraine for Kyiv, I supported Ukraine for Rome.”

European integration and energy strategy

On European governance, Meloni rejected the federalist model advocated by former Prime Minister Mario Draghi, including proposals to eliminate unanimity voting rules. She argued instead for a confederal European Union where member states maintain sovereignty over strategic sectors. In the energy sector, Meloni emphasized reducing structural dependence on foreign suppliers through accelerated renewable deployment and a return to new-generation nuclear power. She also pointed to regulatory steps designed to speed up concessions for energy research and exploitation.

“I do not believe the solution is seeking even more European integration or overcoming unanimity or a federal Europe that supersedes nation states, and therefore I do not agree with Mario Draghi.”

Domestic politics and tribute to Emma Bonino

Meloni also offered commentary on her political allies and opposition figures by assigning film and television titles to each. She recommended Trading Places to Giuseppe Conte and Elly Schlein, Back to the Future to Matteo Renzi, and The Last of the Mohicans to Carlo Calenda. She assigned Stranger Things to coalition partners Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini, comparing their group to an improbable team facing larger battles, and recommended The Wizard of Oz to Roberto Vannacci. Meloni also paid tribute to Emma Bonino, who died on 11 September at the age of 78, acknowledging their sharp ideological disagreements alongside Bonino's authority and advocacy for women in politics.

“She and I were two women truly very distant on policy. But this never prevented me from respecting the person, her competence, her authority, and her ability to understand that the role of women in this society, including in politics, is never something you have to wait for.”