Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni may have told Donald Trump not to worry about his popularity and focus on his own, but she is reportedly considering holding the country’s next general election earlier because she is worried that her popularity could decline the longer she waits.Read this also ‘Pay attention to your popularity’: Italian PM Giorgia Meloni hits back at US President Donald Trump’s ‘senseless’ attacksMeloni, Italy’s first female prime minister, has discussed the possibility of holding early elections—possibly by April 2027—with President Sergio Mattarella, who has the constitutional right to dissolve parliament and trigger fresh voting, according to a Bloomberg report.If held as scheduled, Italy’s next general election will be held in December 2027. The last election, which brought Meloni to power, was to have been held in September 2022.According to reports, his government has been under pressure since March, when voters rejected a referendum on justice reforms. This blow was caused by the departure of three members of his administration.Since then, opinion polls have shown increasing support for the far-right National Future Party.If Meloni remains in office until September, he will become Italy’s longest-serving prime minister, surpassing Silvio Berlusconi.
Georgia Meloni vs. Donald Trump
The Bloomberg report comes days after Meloni said Trump should worry about his popularity — with midterm elections in the US coming up in November — escalating a war of words that began when he claimed the Italian leader “begged” for a photo with him at the G7 summit in France last week.After Meloni described the claim as “completely fabricated”, Trump reiterated that she had “begged” for a photo – linking it to his “falling popularity”.The Italian Prime Minister then responded: “President Trump, these persistent, unprovoked attacks are senseless. As far as my popularity goes, being your friend certainly hasn’t helped, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that’s what I’ve always done.”He said, “I have done the same with regard to American military bases in Italy. Their use is governed by agreements we have always respected, and cannot be violated as long as I am prime minister. Italy is a sovereign nation. In any case, my popularity is not your concern. I suggest you focus on your popularity.”Italy was among several European countries that refused to allow the US to use its facilities to attack Iran, angering Trump.