Meloni says she intends to serve full term as Italy's prime minister

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday that she intends to stay in office until the end of her parliamentary term next autumn, rejecting media speculation that she might call early elections. She made the statement at a press conference following a cabinet meeting.

Meloni's government this month became the longest-serving in Italy since World War II. It is led by a conservative coalition made up of her Brothers of Italy party alongside the League and Forza Italia. Meloni said she takes pride in the government's stability and wants to keep governing as long as she retains a strong, solid majority.

Pressure from the far right

A sharp rise in support for National Future, a new far-right movement led by former general Roberto Vannacci, has eroded backing for Meloni's camp and fueled speculation that she might seek early elections to avoid further losses.

In recent months, the ruling coalition's path has often been rocky, suggesting Meloni may be losing some of her once-firm grip on the alliance as elections approach. In July, the lower house of parliament unexpectedly rejected a government-backed amendment on electoral reform that Meloni had strongly supported, after some coalition members sided with the opposition. Separately, the Italian Senate approved a contested electoral law reform amid fierce criticism from the opposition, which accused Meloni of changing the rules to boost her chances of re-election next year.

Meloni has also previously said she is not willing to scale back support for Ukraine, even if doing so would help secure a party's backing ahead of the elections.