Meloni meets with Trump to avoid a trade war between the United States and Europe.
The Italian prime minister is working to become a bridge between Washington and Brussels.
RomeItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni travels to the United States this Thursday to meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss the tariff policies announced by the magnate, which have brought international markets to their knees. The suspension of tariffs in the European Union for at least ninety days gave a respite to the capitals of the Old Continent, but the Italian leader's mission will be to ensure that the temporary moratorium announced by the President of the United States remains indefinite.
Meloni will arrive at the White House on April 17 with the goal of reaching an agreement with Trump to cancel industrial tariffs between the United States and EU countries. During a meeting with Italian business leaders last week, the Italian prime minister said she could support the initiative presented by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who suggested zero tariffs on industrial products between the United States and Europe.
"The challenge to explore is the one supported by Italy and proposed by President von der Leyen: the possibility of eliminating reciprocal tariffs on existing industrial products using a zero-for-zero formula," Meloni said, calling the Trump administration's tariff policy "an absolute decision." "Western economies are strongly connected, and such incisive protectionist policies will end up damaging both Europe and the United States," the Italian leader acknowledged. A criticism of the new US president that she had so far avoided making in public.
A bridge between Washington and Brussels
Donald Trump's arrival at the White House has highlighted the ambiguities surrounding Italy's prime minister. Since her rise to power in October 2022, the far-right leader has managed to build a moderate image and consolidate her influence beyond Italy's borders. However, her unwavering support for Volodymyr Zelensky in the face of the Russian invasion faltered when the US president humiliated the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office and threatened to withdraw support for Ukraine if Kiev did not reach an agreement with Moscow.
The criticism of the shameful meeting by most European leaders was ignored by Meloni, who maintained "a shameful silence," according to the opposition. And now, as relations between the new US administration and the EU are at their most critical point in decades, Meloni works to become a bridge between Washington and Brussels. It won't be easy, because while the prime minister aspires to become Trump's preferred interlocutor in Europe thanks to her ideological affinity with the magnate, in Italy it is precisely the most loyal sectors of his electoral base that are most affected by the economic policies announced across the Atlantic.
Brussels counterattacked with tariffs on a thousand US products worth €21 billion following the new 20% trade tax in the EU announced by Trump. However, Italy insists on the need to find a "negotiated" solution to the trade war that will reduce the impact on European markets.
Unable to condemn the tariffs
The Italian leader distanced herself from her European allies, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, who did not rule out a harsh response to the US president. "France and Europe never wanted chaos," said the Elysee Palace tenant. Meloni, on the other hand, avoided criticizing Trump's tariffs after the Republican's announcement, once again sparking the ire of the Italian opposition, which accused the prime minister of being incapable of condemning a measure that would severely affect Italian businesses, especially the food industry. Instead, the Italian prime minister criticized the EU's lack of political and economic strategy in a recent interview with the Financial Times.
Meloni, who along with Hungarian Viktor Orbán was invited to Trump's inauguration, arrives in Washington this week with the task of convincing the US president to grant preferential treatment to the EU, which the tycoon believes was created to "take advantage" of his country, but also to defend Italian interests. According to local media, in the Oval Office, the prime minister will champion the investments in the United States by the Italian energy company Eni, as well as the future expansion in the United States of the defense company Leonardo, the largest in the sector in Italy.