Meloni hits back at M5S over ‘knee pads’ slur: ‘First female PM came from the right, you couldn’t do it’

The chamber clash

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appeared before the Chamber of Deputies on 11 June 2026 to brief lawmakers ahead of the European Council meeting scheduled for 18–19 June. The session descended into chaos when 5-Star Movement (M5S) MP Francesco Silvestri, speaking during the general debate, accused the prime minister of adopting a submissive posture toward US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Silvestri claimed that instead of “straightening her back” after a referendum on the government’s foreign stance, Meloni had “simply put on knee pads to be more comfortable.” The remark drew applause from M5S benches and immediate protests from the centre-right.

The Fratelli d’Italia deputy Paolo Trancassini demanded a formal inquiry, stating that the meaning of the phrase about a woman wearing knee pads in front of a man was unmistakable. The assembly waited for Meloni’s reply.

Meloni’s retort

When she took the floor, Meloni dispensed with diplomatic forms and addressed Silvestri directly. She raised her voice and asked whether the real question of respect for women was the form of address used by a colleague or the fact that another colleague had told her she wore knee pads.

Colleague Silvestri, what you cannot accept is that there is a woman who has got to where she has got to without ever wearing knee pads, without favouritism and without shortcuts.

The premier then turned the attack into a political indictment of the M5S. She declared that what truly annoyed the opposition was that the first female prime minister in Italian history had emerged from the right, while the other side had failed to put forward a comparable candidate. The right-wing benches responded with a standing ovation, while Silvestri later said he had been misunderstood and that he meant only to criticise the prime minister’s posture.

Broader opposition fire

Beyond the Silvestri incident, the opposition front lined up a series of other accusations. PD secretary Elly Schlein focused on economic data, telling the chamber that the tax burden had hit 43% and that wages remained among the lowest, opening a gap she described as “enormous” between the country as narrated by the government and the country outside Palazzo Chigi.

If I may, President Meloni, stop with the bridges, they bring bad luck, they bring you bad luck and they bring Italy bad luck. You announced you would be the bridge with Washington, that bridge became a nightmare for Italians, between tariffs, arms purchases, liquefied gas.

Conte, the M5S leader, also jabbed at Meloni’s absence from recent international summits, calling them “Schettino-style escapes”. Matteo Renzi labelled the prime minister “Lady Tax”, while the Green-Left alliance said the country had a premier more skilled at organising a fan club than at governing. Meanwhile, the progressive camp flooded the electoral reform bill with amendments, a move the government interpreted as an attempt to block the reform while safeguarding only the executive’s own interests.

A first from the right

Meloni became Italy’s first female head of government after the 2022 general election, leading a coalition anchored by her own Fratelli d’Italia. Tuesday’s exchange underscored the durability of the tension between that historic milestone and a political debate still quick to resort to gendered language when attacking the woman holding the office.

No disciplinary action was announced against Silvestri during the session, though the Fratelli d’Italia group had formally requested an inquiry. The prime minister’s team signalled that she considered the matter closed after her reply.