New Delhi, Sep 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy’s postwar history, describing the milestone as a reflection of the trust placed in her leadership by the Italian people.
In a message posted on social media platform X, Modi also praised Meloni’s government for its efforts to deepen the relationship between India and Italy and said he looked forward to continuing close cooperation to create a prosperous future for the people of both countries.
“Congratulations to my friend Prime Minister Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy's postwar history. This milestone is a reflection of the trust and confidence of the Italian people in her leadership,” Modi said.
He added that Meloni’s friendship had played an important role in strengthening the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership.
“Her friendship has also been instrumental in strengthening the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership and I look forward to continuing our close cooperation to build a prosperous future for the people of our countries. My best wishes for her continued success in the years ahead,” the Prime Minister said.
Meloni’s government has now surpassed the tenure of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to become the longest-serving government in the postwar history of the Italian Republic.
Meloni took office on October 22, 2022, becoming Italy’s first woman Prime Minister. Her government completed 1,413 days in office on Friday, crossing the previous postwar record.
The milestone comes amid a period of closer political and strategic engagement between India and Italy. The two countries have expanded cooperation across areas including trade, investment, technology, defence and other sectors, with both leaders maintaining regular contact at bilateral and multilateral forums.
Earlier in July, Meloni had congratulated Modi after he became India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister. She described their relationship as an opportunity to create new avenues of cooperation between the two countries.
“Congratulations to Narendra Modi who today becomes the longest-serving elected Prime Minister in the history of India. It has been a pleasure to meet again in Rome in recent weeks and to launch together a Special Strategic Partnership that looks to the future to create new opportunities for our Nations and our peoples,” Meloni had said in a post on X.
In May, Modi undertook a two-day official visit to Italy, during which he held talks with Meloni as well as Italian President Sergio Mattarella. During the visit, Modi and Meloni agreed to elevate bilateral relations to the level of a Special Strategic Partnership.
The two leaders welcomed the strong momentum in high-level exchanges and agreed to institutionalise annual meetings between the leaders, including on the sidelines of multilateral events. They also backed regular ministerial and institutional-level engagements to strengthen cooperation.
The personal rapport between Modi and Meloni has also attracted considerable attention on social media. During one of their recent interactions, Modi presented Meloni with a packet of “Melody” toffees, reviving the widely circulated “#Melodi” trend that combines the names of the two leaders.
Meloni later shared a video of the exchange on Instagram, saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift -- a very, very good toffee -- Melody,” before thanking him for the gesture.
The “Melodi” phenomenon has repeatedly gone viral online, reflecting the friendly exchanges and visible personal rapport between Modi and Meloni during their meetings at international events.
