When Giorgia Meloni won a stunning victory in 2022 over Rome’s political establishment, the international press reacted with horror, proclaiming that the 45-year-old firebrand was nothing less than the second coming of Benito Mussolini and that Italy faced the return of fascism. Yet, nearly four years on, Meloni now holds the record for the longest-serving government since the Second World War, with an administration defined by moderation and pragmatism, often to the chagrin of both her detractors and supporters.