Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni may have told Donald Trump Don’t worry about her popularity and mind her own business, but she is reportedly considering calling the country’s next general election early because she fears her popularity may decline the longer she waits.ALSO READ | ‘Focused on own popularity’: Italian PM Giorgio Meloni hits back at US President Donald Trump’s ‘pointless’ attacksAccording to Bloomberg, Meloni, Italy’s first female prime minister, has discussed the possibility of holding early elections with President Sergio Mattarella – which could be held as early as April 2027. The president has the constitutional power to dissolve parliament and trigger a new vote.If held as scheduled, Italy’s next general election will be held in December 2027. The last election was held in September 2022 and Meloni came to power.Pressure on her government has reportedly been growing since voters rejected a referendum on justice reform in March. Following this setback, three members of her government resigned.Since then, opinion polls have shown rising support for the far-right National Future party.If Meloni is re-elected until September, she will surpass Silvio Berlusconi to become Italy’s longest-serving prime minister.
Georgia Meloni vs Donald Trump
The escalating spat comes days after Bloomberg reported that Meloni said Trump should worry about his popularity ahead of U.S. midterm elections in November. He claimed the Italian leader “asked” to be photographed with him at the G7 summit in France last week.After Meloni called the claim “a complete fabrication,” Trump reiterated that she was “begging” for a photo and linked it to what he called her “decline in popularity.”The Italian Prime Minister then responded: “President Trump, these ongoing and unprovoked attacks are senseless. As for my popularity, being your friend certainly does not help and does not depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interests, which is what I have always done.”“That’s what I did with the U.S. military bases in Italy as well. Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected and which cannot be violated as long as I am prime minister. Italy remains a sovereign country. In any case, my popularity has nothing to do with you. I advise you to focus on yours,” she added.Italy is one of several European countries that has refused to allow the United States to use its facilities to strike Iran, drawing Trump’s ire.
