- Meloni, on the 1 hand, cannot abruptly halt supporting Zelenski, on the other, must strengthen Italy's privileged relation with the United States
- It seemed that the memorable Trump would never forgive Meloni kindness towards his top rival Joe Biden. But it did not. Elon Musk took care of the warming of the relation between Meloni and Trump
- During the meetings, they both spared no compliments. Meloni praised Musk’s “unparalleled genius” while the billionaire regarded her as “an even more beautiful individual internally than externally”
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To date, Giorgia Meloni said: “We must be on the side of Ukraine, alongside Volodymyr Zelenski, who, at the time of Russian aggression launched on 24 February 2022, did not flee with his household aboard an American aircraft, but remained in his country to organize opposition against the invader.”
Now that "average comedian" and "dictator" – as the Ukrainian president called Donald Trump – who "provoked" Vladimir Putin's war, was thrown to the Russian bear by the fresh American administration, the Italian Prime Minister found herself in a hard situation. She'll gotta show quite a few skill. On the 1 hand, he cannot abruptly halt supporting Zelenski, on the another he must strengthen Italy's privileged relations with the United Statesto play a bridge between the Republican administration and the European Union.
After Trump's controversial statements in Italy, there was confusion. Meloni remained silent, and a strategy of restraint was adopted in Palazzo Chigi, the seat of the Italian government, explaining the request for a "permanent peace".
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, leader of Forza Italia, limited himself to a diplomatic comment: “This is not our language”, and he added that “it is essential to preserve cold blood.” Elly Schlein, the leader of the Italian Democratic Party, initially besides kept silent, causing criticism from the organization secretariat, which did not cover the outrage: “Hairless words, full of contempt for war victims, are a humiliation to the attacked Ukraine. There are those who effort to respond while Meloni remains silent.”
In turn Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, the League leader, declared “full support and large respect for Trump, who in a fewer weeks did more than Biden for 4 years, acting in the interests of the West.” Salvini besides supported Trump's candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize (previously supported the award of this award to Vladimir Putin).
However, the most pro-trumpic attitude was taken by erstwhile Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, leader of the 5 Star Movement. He said: “Trump uncompromisingly exposes all Western war propaganda about Ukraine. We have been repeating for 3 years that the military defeat of Russia was unrealistic – as military experts besides say. It is simply a fact that weighs like a millstone on Prime Minister Meloni, which could have carved for Italy a leading function in the negotiations, and alternatively led us to this failure to satisfy global cabinets. If I were her, I would resign in the face of this defeat."
RICCARDO ANTIMIANA / PAPGiuseppe Conte
Although Giorgia Meloni did not talk publically – which is becoming more frequent in hard situations for her – her actions are meaningful. She decided not to take part in the European mission to Kiev on 24 February, on the 3rd anniversary of the outbreak of the war, alongside the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Spanish Prime Minister Pedra Sánchez. The authoritative reason was a state visit to Italy to the president of the United arabian Emirates, Sheikh Muhammad ibn Zajid al-Nahajjana.
Initially Meloni besides refused to attend the video conference at the G7 summit convened by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Eventually, however, she changed her head and took part in it.
Old love doesn't rust
Giorgia Meloni inactive showed interest in Donald Trump's politics as opposition leader.
After becoming Prime Minister, she became more pro-European and approached Ursula von der Leyen and fresh US president Joe Biden. 1 could say that the Italian Prime Minister was the closest to him, supporting his policy towards Ukraine. The sealing of this account was the paternal kiss Joe Biden made on Meloni's forehead at the end of their gathering at the White home in March 2024.
ETTORE FERRARI / PAPJoe Biden and Giorgia Meloni (April 2024)
It seemed that the memorable Trump would never forgive Meloni's kindness to his top rival. But it did not. Elon Musk took care of the warming of the relation between Meloni and Trump.
Just before Donald Trump took office, January 5th, Giorgia Meloni went on a secret visit to the United States to visit president Elek in his private residence in Mar-a-Lago. The subject of the talks was the release of the Italian writer Cecilia Sali, held in Iran since 19 December 2024, and her replacement as Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, detained in Italy at the request of the US. The gathering became an chance to strengthen the relation – Trump called Meloni a "great ally" and praised her for "defeating Europe". She reciprocated with a Facebook entry: “A beautiful evening with Donald Trump, thank you for welcoming him. Ready to cooperate".
The Italian Prime Minister was besides among the fewer European leaders participating in Trump's oath ceremony on 20 January 2025. She sat in the front row, alongside president Javier Milei of Argentina. Trump knows Meloni has a debt to him that she will gotta pay back sooner or later.
Meloni and Musk
Owners of X and Tesla and Prime Minister of Italy met 3 times in 2 years. Meloni hosted a billionaire in Italy twice. The first gathering took place in June 2023, during Musk's brief visit to Palazzo Chigi. As a general rule, the government communication stated, the talks afraid "innovation, artificial intelligence, European regulations and birth rates". In December 2023 Musk participated in the Atreju conference, organized by the youth organization Italian Brothers – National Alliance in Rome. In September 2024, Giorgia Meloni flew to the US, where she received the award from the Musk Global Citizen Award, an award awarded by the Atlantic Council.
During these meetings, they both spared no compliments. Meloni praised Musk’s “unparalleled genius” while the billionaire regarded her as “an even more beautiful individual internally than externally” and praised the sincerity, authenticity and professionalism presented by her as Prime Minister.
Rumors of a possible affair escalated after a photograph of a dinner held in honour of Meloni, which rapidly became a vortex. The tweet of writer Simon Goddek was peculiarly popular, who covered the image with a suggestive comment: “We all know what happened later”, adding a playful emoticon. The entry reached a million views in a fewer hours. Musk rapidly commented on the rumors, saying: “I was there with my mother. I have no romanticist relation with Prime Minister Meloni." Meanwhile, in Italian media, false video was circulating, created utilizing artificial intelligence, depicting Muska and Meloni's alleged kiss.
Elon Musk repeatedly attempted to interfere in Italian politics, commenting on events on his X platform. The biggest controversy was caused by an entry concerning a court decision in Rome which suspended the detention of 7 migrants in migration centres in Albania. “These judges must go,” wrote Musk.
Meloni defended Musk, claiming that his actions were not a threat to democracy.
The relations between them cooled off after the return of the Italian Prime Minister from Mar-a-Lago, erstwhile the Italian media suggested that the price for the release of Cecilia Sali was to sign a contract with SpaceX to supply safe telecommunications services to the Italian government, worth $1.5 billion. After many discussions and arguments, the Bureau of the Council of Ministers denoted information about signing any contract with SpaceX. The Ministry of Defence besides confirmed that no agreement had been reached in this case, considering the offer as a strategical disadvantage.
At present Elon Musk seems to focus her political interests on Alice Weidel, head of the alternate for Germany (AfD).
Mateusz Krymski / PAPMeloni like Nikki Haley
Steve Bannon, strategist and erstwhile advisor to Donald Trump, the leading figure in the American alternate right (alt-right), has since 2018 supported Giorgia Meloni and her Italian Brothers party. Bannon saw its possible for a European leader in the national populist movement, calling it ‘Thatcher of Italy’. His cooperation with Meloni aimed to transfer the MAGA (Make America large Again) thought to European soil, resulting in initiatives specified as MEGA (Make Europe large Again).
After the conflict with Trump and Bannon's resignation, he moved his business to Europe. In Brussels, he founded a think tank called The Movement, which besides operated as an advisory agency, PR firm and investigation institute. Its task was to make a pan-European nationalist movement that would bring about a breakdown of the European Union. To this end, he planned to establish a university to educate future leaders of the far right – the Judeo-Christian West Academy – in a historical abbey in Collepardo, about 70 km southeast of Rome. After disclosure of these plans, the Italian Ministry of Culture terminated the lease agreement.
In August 2020, Bannon was arrested for embezzlement of funds collected to build sections of the wall at the border with Mexico by a private company. In January 2021, the day before the end of his term, president Trump decided to pardon him. Nevertheless, Bannon spent 4 months in prison – for insulting Congress.
He returned to the political phase with Trump's re-launch in the presidential election, competing for influence with Elon Musk. Bannon did not look favourably at Musk, whom he called "a parasitic illegal immigrant" wanting to "impose his unusual experiments and play God without respect for the history, values and traditions of the country." In fresh months, he has repeatedly attacked the founders of Tesla and SpaceX, saying in an interview with “Corriere della Sera”: “He is simply a truly bad man. Stopping him became a individual substance for me.”
In March, ub.r. Bannon stated that if Giorgia Meloni wants to be re-entered as Trump's ally, she would gotta change her position on the war in Ukraine. In the MAG movement, she began to be compared to Nikki Haley – the erstwhile U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Trump's favourite during his first term, which later became his counter-candidate in the primary in the Republican Party. Among the supporters of MAG Haley she is considered a traitor, due to her pro-establishment position.
In a fresh interview with “La Repubbliki” Bannon announced: “The conquest of Europe by the MEGA movement will start on Sunday, with elections in Germany. Our strategy is to conquer the continent country by country. We hope that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will yet join our camp, even if she has late been inclined to take more average positions.”
Weekly ReviewMeloni chooses Trump
On February 22, this year, Giorgia Meloni appeared for the 3rd time at the Conference of Conservative Political Action (CPAC), an yearly American political conference attended by conservative activists and officials from the United States and invited guests from abroad, called the Mecca of the MEGA movement by the media). The event took place in Maryland, and Meloni spoke remotely despite the force from the opposition and the Italian judaic community. The reason for the controversy was that Steve Bannon ended the speech with a Roman salute. In consequence to his gesture, he recalled the leader of the French National Unity Jordan Bardell, who considered the motion provocative and referring to the Nazi ideology.
The CPAC was besides addressed by Vice president J.D. Vance, Elon Musk, president of Argentina Javier Milei, who handed Muskow a symbolic electrical saw, and erstwhile Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Meloni showed up as a master of political equivalence. In the speech, she tried to balance interests on many fronts: relations with Donald Trump, support for the European economy, support for Ukraine and maintaining influence in an global network of sovereign politicians, in which she plays an increasingly crucial role. Quoting Pericles – “Happiness depends on freedom and freedom depends on courage”, she described Ukraine as “a arrogant nation fighting for freedom against a violent aggressor.” However, she did not straight mention Russia Vladimir Putin, with whom Trump negotiates over the head of Volodymyr Zelenski.
Meloni called for close cooperation between Europe and the United States "for a just and lasting peace" in Ukraine. The speech concluded with clear support for Trump: “Our opponents number on him to distance himself from us. I know him – he is strong and effective. I bet we can prove them wrong. any may consider Europe distant and lost. I tell you, it is not.”
Donald Trump, who appeared after Meloni, thanked all current abroad leaders. However, the Italian Prime Minister did not mention. In the MAGA, the equilibristy didn't like...
