{"url":"https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over","title":"Meloni isolated as honeymoon ends","domain":"newstatesman.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/32750014/pexels-photo-32750014.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"Italian Prime Minister","category":"World","language":"en","slug":"68c77490","id":"68c77490-7d50-4f76-8519-a722039d154a","description":"Meloni's Popularity Wanes: Giorgia Meloni faces mounting pressures after Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat and tensions with Donald Trump over the Iran confl","summary":"## TL;DR\n- **Meloni's Popularity Wanes:** Giorgia Meloni faces mounting pressures after Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat and tensions with Donald Trump over the Iran conflict.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over)\n- **Judicial Referendum Fails:** Voters rejected the government's judicial overhaul in a March referendum, marking the end of her honeymoon with the electorate.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over)\n- **Strategic Shifts Emerge:** Meloni joins European leaders on a Strait of Hormuz mission and suspends Israel's defence pact renewal amid domestic opposition.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over)\n\n## The story at a glance\nGiorgia Meloni, Italy's prime minister, is navigating international isolation after Viktor Orbán lost Hungary's election on 12 April 2026 and Donald Trump criticised her for opposing his Truth Social attack on Pope Leo XIV amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The article argues her political honeymoon has ended due to this, plus a failed judicial referendum in March and rising energy prices from the war. This is reported now as Meloni realigns with leaders like Emmanuel Macron and faces opposition gains ahead of 2027 elections. Italy's strong Catholic identity, with 71 per cent of the population and 84 per cent of her voters identifying as Catholic, adds pressure on her Christian image.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over)\n\n## Key points\n- Meloni positioned herself as a bridge to Trump's US, attending his January 2025 inauguration as the only European leader invited and backing the \"Mega\" doctrine alongside Orbán.\n- Trump threatened NATO withdrawal after European non-intervention in the Iran conflict and Iran's Strait of Hormuz blockade, personally targeting Meloni over her defence of the Pope.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over)\n- A YouTrend poll shows 79 per cent of Italian voters oppose Trump's Iran war due to energy price fears.\n- Italy suspended automatic renewal of its defence cooperation agreement with Israel after warning shots at Italian Unifil soldiers in Lebanon, but this is not a broader policy shift.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over)\n- Meloni's Albania migrant detention policy faced court blocks but influenced EU offshore processing rules; other reforms like executive presidency and regional devolution were shelved.\n- Scandals, such as flying a Libyan torturer suspect back to Tripoli, had little impact until the judicial referendum defeat deepened the rupture with voters.\n\n## Details and context\nMeloni joined a 17 April 2026 Paris summit on the Strait of Hormuz with Macron, Keir Starmer, and Friedrich Merz, announcing Italian navy involvement in a defensive mission post-hostilities and with parliamentary approval. This signals a pivot from her Trump alignment amid domestic opposition pressure.\n\nHer firm Israel support clashed with Italy's historical pro-Arab stance and growing criticism of Gaza operations labelled genocide by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and B’Tselem. She backs a two-state solution but rejects Palestinian statehood recognition.\n\nDomestically, Brothers of Italy inherits Atlanticist leanings from its post-fascist predecessor. The opposition, including Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein and Five Stars' Giuseppe Conte, is uniting against her ahead of 2027 polls.\n\n## Key quotes\n“I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother, I am a Christian.” – Meloni, defining her public image.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over)\n\n## Why it matters\nMeloni's isolation weakens the European far right after Orbán's defeat, complicating her role in transatlantic relations and EU dynamics amid the Iran war. Italians face higher energy prices and policy gridlock, with 79 per cent opposing the conflict, pressuring voters and businesses reliant on stable imports. Watch her navigation of the Hormuz mission, opposition alliances, and 2027 election polls, though Trump's grudge and war escalation remain unpredictable.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over)\n\n## What changed\nGovernment enjoyed relative ease with scandals and blocked policies producing few repercussions; now faces referendum defeat, war-driven price rises, and opposition capitalisation. Judicial overhaul passed by the government but rejected by voters in March 2026 referendum. Honeymoon with electorate ended, deepened by Iran war effects, as of April 2026.\n\n## FAQ\nQ: Why did Trump target Meloni personally?\nA: Trump criticised her after European NATO members, including Italy, refused to intervene in the US-Israeli attack on Tehran or Iran's Strait of Hormuz blockade, and for her response to his Truth Social attack on Pope Leo XIV. He called her criticism “unacceptable” amid threats to withdraw from NATO. The Pope had condemned the Iran intervention, Israel's Lebanon campaign, and Trump's rhetoric.\n\nQ: What prompted Italy's suspension of the Israel defence agreement?\nA: The suspension followed Israeli warning shots at Italian Unifil soldiers in Lebanon. Brothers of Italy MP Giovanni Donzelli and opposition leader Angelo Bonelli clarified it was specific to that incident, not a policy shift; the agreement is suspended, not revoked. Italy is Israel's third-largest arms supplier.\n\nQ: How has Meloni responded to the Hormuz crisis?\nA: She attended a 17 April Paris summit and announced Italian navy participation in a defensive mission to secure navigation, conditional on post-hostilities start and parliamentary approval. This realigns her with Macron, Starmer, and Merz. A YouTrend poll shows 79 per cent voter opposition to Trump's war over energy prices.\n\nQ: What ended Meloni's domestic honeymoon?\nA: Voters rejected the judicial overhaul in a March referendum, after shelved plans for executive presidency and regional devolution. Iran war price effects and scandals like the Libyan torturer flight added pressure, with opposition led by Schlein and Conte gaining ground for 2027.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over)","hashtags":["#italy","#politics","#meloni","#trump","#iran","#farright"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/04/giorgia-melonis-honeymoon-period-is-over","title":"Original article"}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-20T16:15:21.573Z","createdAt":"2026-04-20T16:15:21.573Z","articlePublishedAt":"2026-04-20T11:12:09.000Z"}