Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday repeated her criticism of trade unions for frequently scheduling strikes on Fridays, suggesting they do so to create “long weekends.” Her latest remark came after the CGIL trade union federation announced a general strike for Friday, December 12, to protest the 2026 budget.
Posting on social media, Meloni wrote: “A new CGIL general strike against the government announced by General Secretary Maurizio Landini. On what day of the week will December 12th fall?”—followed by a puzzled-face emoji, a sarcastic reference to the Friday date.
This is not the first time the prime minister has made such remarks. In October, during a general strike held in solidarity with Gaza, Meloni similarly quipped that “the long weekend and the revolution don’t go together.” Her comments have drawn criticism from unions and opposition leaders, who argue that striking workers forgo a day’s pay to make their voices heard, not to extend their weekends.