Before becoming Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, together with fellow members of the Brothers of Italy party, used strong Euroskeptic rhetoric, rejecting European Union governance and decrying what they saw as needless bureaucracy in Brussels, the de facto capital of the EU.
After taking office in 2022, Meloni’s relationship with the EU became more pragmatic. She made Brussels the destination for her first international trip as prime minister, where she met with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and other EU leaders, and pledged that Italy would work with other EU countries.
Meloni continued to pursue domestic culture war measures, though her governing style has proved more flexible than many observers initially expected. Her government has continued to engage with European institutions, marking a departure from the confrontational stance she maintained while in opposition, and has also adopted economic policies that have improved the country’s credit rating. Meloni’s approval rating in Italy was 42 percent in the fall of 2025, higher than that of many other European leaders.