2 weeks ago
Italy's Meloni losing young voters ahead of 2027 election
Giorgia Meloni is the Prime Minister of Italy, a country in Europe, and has led the government since 2022.
Many young Italians aged 18 to 34 are not happy with her leadership.
Opinion polls show that most young voters now prefer the centre-left opposition instead of her coalition.
Analysts say Meloni has not made important changes to help young people find jobs or get a good education.
Italy has fewer young workers than almost any other country that uses the euro, and young graduates earn much less than graduates in Germany.
Meloni's government has also introduced strict laws that affect young people, like tougher rules for teenagers who commit crimes.
In November, thousands of students marched in protests called 'No Meloni Day.'
In March, young people voted in large numbers against her justice reform.
Because young people are now voting more, experts say they could decide who wins the next election in 2027.
Opinion polls show Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's ruling coalition holds less than 30% of voting support among Italians under 35, while the centre-left opposition bloc has almost 50%.
Analysts say Meloni has made no significant economic reforms for the young, with Italy recording the euro zone's lowest employment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds.
Government law-and-order measures have targeted rave parties, 'light' cannabis, street protests, squatters and juvenile crime, including a bill making 14- to 17-year-olds fully responsible for crimes unless proven otherwise.
At the March referendum on Meloni's justice reform, 67% of under-35s voted and 60% of them rejected the reform, a sharp reversal of normally low youth turnout.
The far-right National Future party of Roberto Vannacci, polling at about 7%, is competing for young anti-immigrant voters within Meloni's own ideological camp.
- Who
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her rightist coalition (Brothers of Italy, League and Forza Italia), the centre-left opposition led by the Democratic Party, and young Italian voters aged 18 to 34.
- What
- Meloni's government is increasingly unpopular among young voters, with polls showing under-35s shifting to the centre-left ahead of a national election due next year.
- Where
- Italy, reported from Rome.
- When
- Reported on August 13, with the trend building since Meloni took office in 2022; a November student protest and a March referendum were key moments.
- Why
- Analysts cite the government's lack of significant economic reforms for young people, Italy's low youth employment and education investment, and law-and-order measures that disproportionately affect the young.
Critics, opposition and the centre-left
Meloni's government and the right-wing camp
Economic policy and youth opportunities
Critics, opposition and the centre-left
Analysts say Meloni has made no significant economic reforms, hurting those least protected by the status quo; Italy has the euro zone's lowest employment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds, under-invests in education, and a young German graduate earns on average 80% more than an Italian peer.
Meloni's government and the right-wing camp
Meloni's office declined to answer questions about the government's record, while her outreach has included appearing on an irreverent podcast hosted by a popular rapper days before the March referendum.
Law-and-order measures and juvenile justice
Critics, opposition and the centre-left
Critics highlight the impact of the security drive: thousands marched on 'No Meloni Day' against security decrees, education spending cuts and Meloni's support for Israel in Gaza, while prisoners' rights group Antigone says a 2023 decree triggered a 50% rise in the juvenile prison population.
Meloni's government and the right-wing camp
The government has pursued a crackdown on rave parties, 'light' cannabis, disruptive street protests, squatters and juvenile crime, and last month presented a bill making 14- to 17-year-olds who commit crimes fully responsible unless proven otherwise.
The fight for the youth vote
Critics, opposition and the centre-left
'Younger voters are clearly leaning towards the centre-left,' with the opposition bloc holding almost 50% support among under-35s against under 30% for the ruling coalition.
Meloni's government and the right-wing camp
Meloni's coalition still commands more support among young men, while the far-right National Future (about 7%) attracts anti-immigrant urban youths with pledges to return thousands of migrants to their countries of origin.
Key facts
- Country
- Italy
- Prime Minister
- Giorgia Meloni, in office since 2022
- Coalition support among under-35s
- Less than 30%
- Opposition support among under-35s
- Almost 50%
- Government approval among under-35s
- 25%, versus 35% among the overall population
- Youth employment
- Lowest rate for 15- to 24-year-olds in the 21-nation euro zone
- March referendum
- 67% of under-35s voted; 60% rejected the Meloni-backed justice reform
- Juvenile prison population
- Rose 50% after the 2023 decree toughening sanctions on offending minors
Quotes
Lorenzo Pregliasco
Head of the Youtrend polling agency
“"The referendum showed what impact the young can have if they vote en masse,"”
theprint.in
telegraphindia.com
“"Younger voters are clearly leaning towards the centre‑left,"”
theprint.in
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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