It has certainly already been an ongoing pain for the Meloni-Piantedosi government to lose many important court cases regarding migration. Over the last few months, civil fleet actors regularly won appeals against attempts to detain rescue ships. The intention to intercept people on the move already aboard rescue ships and to externalize their asylum procedures to Albania failed again and again. And last year, in front of the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg, Meloni finally lost the legal dispute over the government’s interpretation of safe countries of origin. The two appealing asylum seekers from Bangladesh won their cases.
But all these reversals on migration appear as minor setbacks in comparison to what happened on 22–23 March 2026. Meloni suffered a strong defeat in the referendum on the so-called judicial reform. While she counted on a clear victory, 54% voted against it and thus against her policy. This was followed by subsequent resignations within her government. Meloni’s special friendship with Trump has created another problem since a large majority in Italy opposes the war in Iran. The dispute between the US president and the Pope brought her additional difficulties, and she was forced to officially step back from Trump.
All in all, the events of recent weeks have taken quite a toll on the Italian government: Meloni has lost her aura of invincibility. This situation might create new hope in view of the autumn 2027 elections; at least, further developments appear much more open again at the moment.
It is, of course, impossible to anticipate the consequences of Meloni’s strategy for the next period. On the one hand, she might try to appear more moderate, more pragmatic, and thus less polarizing. On the other hand, her last defeat might lead to the opposite: a stronger ideological polarization and a renewed attempt to fully play the racist card.
The ongoing escalation against civil sea rescue speaks in favour of the latter. While the rescue ship Sea- Watch 5 was reportedly shot at and threatened by Libyan forces during a rescue operation in international waters at 11th of May, shortly afterwards Italian authorities opened a criminal investigation against the ship’s captain for “aiding illegal immigration.” A further intensification of administrative attacks and the criminalization of solidarity with migrants must be expected. We should be ready for this option!
Echoes’ editorial team
Sea Watch, Picture taken during the incident involving the Libyan coast guards (Leo Spartacus)
