Italy’s ruling coalition faces its most serious internal test in years as Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini intensifies his campaign to reclaim the Interior Ministry, according to Euractiv.
The move pits him against current Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, a technocrat now firmly aligned with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and threatens to destabilise the incumbent government.
Salvini’s bid gained momentum after his 2024 acquittal in the Open Arms case, where prosecutors had charged him with kidnapping for blocking a migrant rescue ship during his 2018–2019 tenure. Declaring the verdict removed “the last alibi” for his exclusion, Salvini has framed his return as a democratic imperative, citing demands from League mayors and voters.
Yet Meloni has publicly backed Piantedosi, praising his “excellent work” and dismissing reshuffle talks, a stance reinforced by coalition partner Antonio Tajani of Forza Italia.
Once Italy’s most popular politician, Salvini’s League has slumped to 9% in polls, a far cry from its 34% peak during his interior ministry heyday. Critics argue his push for the role is less about policy than reclaiming visibility, especially after Meloni sidelined him with the low-profile transport portfolio. His recent shift to endorsing anti-LGBTQ+ figures and attacking EU policies has also failed to revive support, fuelling internal dissent.
Piantedosi, meanwhile, embodies Meloni’s preference for stability. A former Salvini aide turned independent, he has implemented her migration agenda, including controversial deals with Albania to process asylum seekers.
The standoff reveals Meloni’s dilemma. Accommodating Salvini could embolden a restive ally and undermine her authority, yet resisting him risks alienating League voters ahead of crucial regional elections. Analysts note the Brothers of Italy–League rivalry mirrors Europe’s national-oriented divide.
While Meloni courts mainstream credibility, Salvini drifts toward such factions like Germany’s AfD.
Meanwhile, resentment is growing in Italy over the country’s course towards militarisation at the expense of solving domestic issues. Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte criticised Meloni over the fact that Italian “investments in healthcare have fallen back to the lowest levels of the last 17 years.”
While we are aiming for record increases in weapons, cuts and insufficient funding are affecting people […]. We cannot allow exhausted staff to flee the public sector and Italy, hospital corridors to explode and patients to be forced to turn to the private sector or, for those who cannot afford it, to give up treatment.
