Meloni introduces personalised number plates, urges Italians to be 'creative'

Italy's government will allow motorists to personalise the number plates of their vehicles, in a revenue-raising move that follows the example of the Unites States, Britain and other countries.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the measure on Wednesday as she unveiled Italy's 2027 budget law, the last before a general election due next year, describing the number plate initiative as a "colourful note".

"One will be able to indulge oneself more or less as one sees fit, obviously at a cost. Something tells me that Italians' creativity could shine here," Meloni said.

Personalised plates will cost about €600 ($669) for cars and €360 for motor-bikes, according to a decree.

A Treasury official declined to estimate how much revenue the government expects the measure to generate.

Italian car number plates are currently made of a string of two letters, three numbers and two letters.

The extent to which motorists will be allowed to stray from the standard formula is unclear.

The reform has triggered a wave of memes and jokes on social media, amid concerns that personalized license plates could open the flood-gates to insults and profanities.

One meme showed Meloni dressed up as Marie Antoniette, holding a platter of licence plates and saying, "Let them eat personalised plates" - a play on the famous phrase by the 18th century French queen "Let them eat cake".

Some welcomed the measure, including taxi drivers, who said distinctive personalised plates could make it easier to identify legitimate operators and combat illegal services.

Opposition parties on the centre-left were less enthusiastic, saying the licence-plate initiative was a distraction from more pressing issues that budget failed to address.

"Meloni should know that Italians have already chosen their personalised plate, and it reads: 'Meloni, go away'," said Francesco Silvestri, a lawmaker from the Five Star Movement.