Why are young Italians unhappy with Meloni?

Analysts link the growing dissatisfaction among younger voters to a lack of economic reforms aimed at improving their opportunities.

Since taking office in 2022, Meloni has done little on the economic front to address some of the problems facing young people, analysts told Reuters. Lorenzo De Sio, a political science professor at Rome’s Luiss University, said the government’s lack of significant economic reforms was a key reason for young people’s hostility towards it.

Young demonstrators show a banner depicting Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wearing a military helmet, covered in red handprints, during the “No-Meloni day” rally in Rome, November 14, 2025. (REUTERS)

“That is fine if you benefit from the status quo, but very bad for those least protected by it, which often means young people,” he said.

Italy has the lowest employment rate among people aged 15 to 24 in the 21-member euro zone, according to Eurostat data cited by Reuters. The country also spends less on education than almost all its euro-zone partners.

The wage gap is another concern. A young graduate in Germany earns, on average, about 80 per cent more than a comparable Italian graduate, according to the Bank of Italy.

Italy is also losing young graduates to other countries. The Bank of Italy has said more than 100,000 young graduates left the country between 2020 and 2024.

These concerns are reflected in Meloni’s approval figures. Only 25 per cent of voters under 35 approve of her government, compared with 35 per cent among the population as a whole, according to Youtrend.

The shift is even sharper when compared with 2023. Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party alone then enjoyed roughly the same level of support among young voters as her entire three-party coalition does now, according to Youtrend polling cited by Reuters.

Young Italian men and women are split

The political divide among younger Italians is also shaped by gender, a pattern seen in several other European countries.

Young men are more inclined to support right-wing parties, while young women are more likely to back the left, according to a Bocconi University study based on polling data from SWG.

Brothers of Italy had the support of 15 per cent of men aged 18 to 29, compared with just 4.2 per cent of women in the same age group.

The pattern was reversed for the 5-Star Movement, which was backed by 18 per cent of women under 30 but only 5.1 per cent of men.

The figures suggest that the decline in Meloni’s support among younger voters should not be read as a uniform political shift.

Where are younger voters moving?

Much of the support lost by Meloni’s coalition is moving towards the centre-left opposition, but the picture is more complicated than a simple leftward shift.

Meloni is also facing competition from the far right for voters dissatisfied with her government.

National Future, a far-right opposition party formed in February by former army general Roberto Vannacci, is polling at around 7 per cent, according to Reuters.

Its strongest support comes from middle-aged men, but it has also attracted some anti-immigrant urban younger voters with Vannacci’s pledge to return thousands of migrants to their countries of origin.

“Vannacci is certainly holding up better with young voters than the ruling parties are,” Pregliasco said.

That means a decline in support for Meloni does not automatically translate into a surge for the centre-left.

Why Meloni’s security policies have angered some young people

Meloni’s law-and-order agenda has also brought younger Italians into conflict with the government. Her administration has introduced measures targeting rave parties, the production of so-called “light” cannabis, disruptive street protests, squatting and juvenile crime.

The government has defended its security policies as an effort to strengthen public order and tackle crime. Critics, however, argue that some of the measures disproportionately affect younger people.

In November last year, thousands of students took part in a nationwide protest dubbed “No Meloni Day”. Demonstrators opposed the government’s security decrees and education spending cuts, as well as Meloni’s support for Israel over the Gaza war.

Young demonstrators protest against Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the occasion of a “No-Meloni day” rally in Rome, Italy, November 14, 2025. (REUTERS)

The government last month also introduced a bill seeking to change the rules governing the criminal responsibility of minors. Under the proposal, those aged between 14 and 17 who commit crimes would be considered fully responsible unless proven otherwise.

That would reverse the existing system, under which a judge must establish that a minor understood the implications of their actions.

Antigone, a prisoners’ rights organisation, has said Italy’s juvenile prison population rose by 50 per cent following a 2023 decree that strengthened penalties for minors.

The government has also tightened rules around sex education in schools, with teenagers requiring written parental consent under the measure.

A referendum showed young voters can make a difference

For years, low turnout among younger Italians has made their dissatisfaction less visible at the ballot box. Many voters under 35 have tended to stay away rather than express their opposition to the government through voting.

The March referendum on a justice-system reform backed by Meloni provided a different picture.

Around 67 per cent of voters under 35 turned out, according to data cited by Reuters, and 60 per cent of them rejected the reform. Overall turnout was 59 per cent, with 54 per cent voting against it.

Days before the referendum, Meloni appeared on a podcast hosted by a popular rapper to reach younger voters.

“The referendum showed what impact the young can have if they vote en masse,” De Sio said. “At the next election they could be decisive.”

(With inputs from Reuters)