There’s a saying in the working class Roman neighborhood where Giorgia Meloni grew up that means “the heart is always right.” According to people close to her, that’s also a guiding principle for the Italian prime minister: she follows her gut, trusts virtually no one and takes her decisions alone.

Those qualities were on display when she split with her long-time partner last month after he became a political liability. An emotional post on social media included a warning shot to “those who hoped to weaken me by striking me in my private life.”

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