Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise, abbreviated appearance at the Rimini Meeting on Thursday, using the platform to announce a new government plan for price-capped housing for young couples and to place the family at the center of her political agenda.
Her roughly 50-minute address, delivered to the community of Communion and Liberation, was punctuated by strong applause. A key announcement was a new housing plan, developed with Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, aimed at providing “calmierato” (price-capped) homes for purchase and rent to assist young families. “Without a home, it is more difficult to build a family,” Meloni stated.
The Prime Minister’s speech wove in citations familiar to the Catholic audience, from Communion and Liberation founder Don Giussani to Popes John Paul II and Leo XIII. She opened with pointed comments on Gaza, condemning the killing of journalists as “unacceptable” and stating that Israel had “gone too far,” resulting in too many civilian casualties. She drew a contrast between those who “present motions” and her government, which she claimed acts by “saving children” from the Strip.
Meloni, Italy’s first female Prime Minister, also highlighted her government’s record on female employment and called for a “cultural change” to reaffirm the role of the family, criticizing what she called “delirious theses” like not having children for environmental reasons and practices like surrogacy, which she said “have nothing modern about them.”
The Prime Minister faced criticism from opposition leaders who dismissed her speech as “slogans and promises.” However, her sharper comments were reserved for the judiciary. She firmly stated that no “judge, politician, or bureaucrat” would prevent her executive from enforcing laws on illegal immigration. She also pledged to complete justice reform despite what she termed the “field invasions of a minority of politicized judges.”
These remarks prompted an immediate response from the National Association of Magistrates (ANM). Its president, Cesare Parodi, stated that magistrates have no “will” to oppose the government politically but “apply the laws.”
On European affairs, Meloni agreed with former Prime Minister Mario Draghi that the European Union risks “irrelevance” if it does not reform. She noted that she herself had been “harshly criticized” for making similar critiques in the past.
A much-anticipated meeting with Deputy PM Salvini at the event did not materialize, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts. Both camps quickly clarified that the two leaders had spoken by phone and would meet in Rome on Friday, dismissing reports of tension as “summer gossip.” Meloni departed without taking questions from journalists.