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.”

Her what-you-see-is-what-you-get authenticity dovetails with a steeliness that just over a year ago catapulted her into power — a position no woman has ever held in Italy. In a country where, famously, many governments collapse after a year, few thought she would last. But Meloni is used to people underestimating her.