Giorgia Meloni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giorgia Meloni
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Official portrait, 2023
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| Prime Minister of Italy | |
| Assumed office 22 October 2022 |
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| President | Sergio Mattarella |
| Deputy | |
| Preceded by | Mario Draghi |
| President of Brothers of Italy | |
| Assumed office 8 March 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Ignazio La Russa |
| President of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party | |
| In office 1 April 2020 – 14 January 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Jan Zahradil |
| Succeeded by | Mateusz Morawiecki |
| Minister of Youth | |
| In office 8 May 2008 – 16 November 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Silvio Berlusconi |
| Preceded by | Giovanna Melandri |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Riccardi |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| Assumed office 28 April 2006 |
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| Constituency |
See list
Lazio 1 (2006–2008)
Lazio 2 (2008–2013) Lombardy 3 (2013–2018) Latina (2018–2022) L'Aquila (since 2022) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 January 1977 Rome, Italy |
| Political party | FdI (since 2012) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Domestic partners | Andrea Giambruno (2015–2023) |
| Children | 1 |
| Signature |  |
Giorgia Meloni (born January 15, 1977) is an Italian politician. She has been the prime minister of Italy since October 2022. She is the first woman to hold this important job in Italy's history. In 2024, Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Politics
Giorgia Meloni was born in Rome, Italy, on January 15, 1977. Her father was from Sardinia, and her mother was from Sicily. She grew up in a working-class area of Rome called Garbatella. She has an older sister, Arianna.
When she was 15, in 1992, Meloni joined the Youth Front. This was the youth group of a political party called the Italian Social Movement (MSI). She also started a student group called Gli Antenati (The Ancestors). This group protested against changes to public education.
In 1996, she became a national leader for Student Action. This was the student group of the National Alliance (AN), a party that followed the MSI. She represented students at the Italian Ministry of Education.
Early Political Roles
In 1998, Meloni was elected as a local councilor for the Province of Rome. She held this position until 2002. In 2004, she became the first woman president of Youth Action, the youth wing of the AN party. During these years, she worked different jobs, including as a nanny and a bartender.
She finished high school in 1996. Later, when she became a member of the Italian Parliament in 2006, she stated she had a high school diploma in languages.
Political Career Milestones
Meloni's political journey began in youth movements. She moved from the Youth Front to leading Student Action. From 1998 to 2002, she served as a councilor in the Province of Rome.
In 2008, she became the Italian Minister of Youth. She held this role in the government led by Silvio Berlusconi until 2011.
Founding Brothers of Italy
In 2012, Meloni helped create a new political party called Brothers of Italy (FdI). She became its president in 2014. The party grew in popularity, especially when it was the only major party in opposition during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the 2018 Italian general election, Meloni led FdI as an opposition party. Her party gained more support from the public.
Becoming Prime Minister of Italy
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Following the 2022 Italian general election, Meloni's party won. She was officially sworn in as Prime Minister on October 22, 2022. This made her the first woman to ever hold this top leadership position in Italy.
On October 25, Meloni gave her first big speech as Prime Minister. She spoke to the Chamber of Deputies. She highlighted how important it was for a woman to lead the Italian government. She thanked many famous Italian women who inspired her. These included Tina Anselmi, Samantha Cristoforetti, and Maria Montessori. She said they helped "break the heavy glass ceiling" for women. Her government then won a vote of confidence, showing they had strong support.
Domestic Policies
One of her government's first actions was to remove the COVID-19 vaccination certificate, called the Green Pass. They also allowed doctors who were not vaccinated to return to work.
Her government also passed a law about illegal gatherings. This law aimed to stop illegal parties. It caused some debate, but the government said it would make small changes to the text.
In terms of the economy, Meloni's government focused on energy prices. They worked to lower costs and give financial help to families and businesses. They also increased the limit for cash payments from €2,000 to €5,000.
In May 2023, Italy faced severe floods in the Emilia-Romagna region. Many people died, and thousands had to leave their homes. The government quickly approved a €2 billion recovery plan. This money was for businesses, schools, and families affected by the floods. Meloni visited the flooded areas with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission.
Foreign Policy
Meloni quickly began meeting with other world leaders. Her first meeting was with French President Emmanuel Macron in Rome. She also met with European Union (EU) leaders in Brussels.
In November 2022, she attended her first international summit, the UN COP27 in Egypt. She spoke about Italy's commitment to fighting climate change. She also met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the G20 summit in Indonesia.
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In January 2023, Meloni visited Algeria. She signed a deal to increase gas supply to Italy, making Algeria Italy's biggest gas supplier. She also visited India and Ethiopia, where she discussed investments in Africa.
In May 2023, Meloni attended the 49th G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. In July, she visited the United States. She met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House. They talked about important global issues like Ukraine, China, and strengthening economic ties.
In April 2024, Meloni announced she would run for a seat in the European Parliament. Her party received the most votes in Italy, and she became the most voted candidate.
Political Views
People describe Meloni's political views as far-right or nationalist. However, she describes herself as a mainstream conservative. She has also been called right-wing populist.
Meloni is seen as close to leaders like Viktor Orbán from Hungary and the Republican Party in the U.S. She supports changing the Constitution of Italy to have a presidential system.
Social Issues
Meloni is against laws that recognize same-sex marriage. She says she is "pro-family." She has stated that the current recognition of same-sex unions in Italy is enough. She has also spoken against same-sex parenting.
Feminism
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Meloni sees feminism as a political tool rather than a movement for women's rights. She describes herself as "a person for women." Her becoming the first female Prime Minister of Italy was seen differently by various groups of women.
Immigration
Meloni has criticized Italy's approach to illegal immigrants. She wants a "zero-tolerance" policy. She aims to stop migrants from reaching Italian ports. She also wants to increase Italy's birth rate to reduce the need for immigrant workers. She is against giving citizenship to children born in Italy to immigrant parents. She connects illegal immigration with crime.
Personal Life
Giorgia Meloni has a daughter named Ginevra, born in 2016. She was in a relationship with journalist Andrea Giambruno from 2015 to 2023.
She is a Roman Catholic. She often uses her religious identity in her public image.
Meloni is a big fan of fantasy stories, especially The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. When she was a youth activist, she attended a festival called Camp Hobbit. She also named her political conference Atreju, after a character from The Neverending Story. She believes Tolkien's works reflect conservative values.
She also admires British conservative philosopher Roger Scruton. She speaks English, French, and Spanish in addition to her native Italian.
Honours and Recognition
Forbes magazine has recognized Meloni as one of the most powerful women in the world. She was ranked seventh in 2022 and fourth in 2023 and 2024. In 2024, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people globally. She also received the Atlantic Council's Global Citizen Award. Politico Europe named her Europe's Most Powerful Person in their Class of 2025.
Foreign Honours
- Finland:
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (2023) - Ukraine:
Order of Liberty (2024)
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Images for kids
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Giorgia Meloni's signature
See also
In Spanish: Giorgia Meloni para niños
