As Europe Looks for a Leader, Italy Thrives While France and Germany Teeter

The European Union’s biggest economies are in turmoil. France’s government fell last week. Germany is facing a snap election after a fragile coalition collapsed. Financial markets are nervous and E.U. authorities are worried.

Amid the chaos, an unlikely haven of relative tranquillity has emerged in a country that was long considered among Europe’s most ungovernable: Italy.

The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proved durable and stable, and the Italian economy has shown relative resilience. Many in Italy feel that Europe’s political tables have turned.

“Welcome to Italian chaos!” Matteo Renzi, a former prime minister of Italy, said in an interview.

“After being mocked for years for the instability of our governments,” he added, “we exported not only Parmesan, pasta and wine but also instability and coalition problems.”

It seems to be a propitious moment for Ms. Meloni, who has the political winds at her back as kindred right-wing forces gain momentum in other major countries in Europe, and now also in the United States with the election of Donald J. Trump.

At a time of uncertainty in France and Germany, her supporters hope that the combination of circumstances could bolster her position, and Italy’s, on the international stage.