Trump optimistic about Meloni: "There will be a trade deal, 100%"

WashingtonItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has become the first European leader to meet with US President Donald Trump since the outbreak of the trade war. The Republican president sounded optimistic about the trade negotiations during the meeting with the Italian right-wing leader. "There will be a trade agreement, 100%," Trump assured Meloni. "Of course there will be a trade agreement. They want it and we will do it, I hope so, but it has to be a fair agreement," the tycoon insisted.

At the table where both commissions, the Italian and the US, sat, Meloni wasted no time in reclaiming her image as a bridge between Brussels and Washington. "I am sure we can reach an agreement, and I am here to help with this. I cannot close this agreement on behalf of the European Union," Meloni defended when asked if the EU would reconsider repealing retaliatory tariffs if it was unable to reach a trade agreement. The prime minister also took the opportunity to invite Trump to visit her country and emphasized her role as a messenger between the United States and Europe: "I'm here to find the best way to strengthen each other on both sides of the Atlantic."

The approach to the meeting, however, was very different. While the Italian wanted to assert her influence over the US president, Trump presented it as just another hand-kissing in the wake of his tariffs. Hours before the meeting, she wrote the following on Truth Social: "I had a very productive call with the President of Mexico yesterday. Similarly, I met with the highest-level trade representatives from Japan. It was a very productive meeting. All nations, including China, want to meet! Today, Italy!" Trump wrote.

Meloni was the only European leader to attend the Republican's inauguration. But what was supposed to be a strength has become a vulnerability: the prime minister had to save her credibility. The tycoon's warm welcome has allowed Meloni to breathe easy. Trump has repeatedly praised her, but not so much as an equal, but as a good disciple. Once again, the contrast between the two perspectives was repeated: that of hand-kissing and that of power of influence.

At all times, the Republican leader has placed himself in a position of power over Meloni, despite their good rapport. "I like her a lot. I think she's a great prime minister. She's doing a fantastic job in Italy and we're very proud of her," the president assessed, insisting: "She's one of the true leaders of the world and I'm very proud to be by her side."

When the tycoon first announced the tariffs on their "liberation day," the Italian's reaction was measured: despite calling it "absolutely the wrong decision," she also stated that the markets' reaction was exaggerated and that it wasn't that serious. Meloni sought a balance between her interests, loyalty to the European Union, and avoiding angering the leader of the Far Right International.

Meloni was under pressure to become a bridge between the EU and the United States. Furthermore, she had to demonstrate that she is one of Trump's closest friends in Europe without breaking the trust of her European partners. Despite being an Far Right leader like Hungary's Viktor Orbán, Meloni has achieved acceptance and recognition from other European partners for her steadfast support in Ukraine. The far-right leader enjoys the support of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

She has already been practicing some of this balancing act since Trump came to power. After the grotesque scene in the Oval Office, in which the US president and his deputy cornered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, shouting at each other, Meloni kept a low profile and avoided commenting.

Being part of the far-right family should have been a relief for the Italian and a guarantee of rapprochement, but in reality it was more of an element of pressure. Meloni boasted of her ability to influence the American president, and this Monday in the Oval Office she had to demonstrate it. The Italian couldn't fail, especially when comparing her visit with other European leaders who are not on the same page as Trump, such as French President Emmanuel Macron. The Frenchman managed to captivate the American once again without needing to share views and was even able to correct him on camera and come away unscathed. However, Macron couldn't avoid the Republican's subsequent outbursts against the Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky.

Before the far-right leader's trip, both the European Union Trade Commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, and the Spanish Economy Minister, Carlos Cuerpo, had already held meetings with their American counterparts. On Monday, Sefcovic left Washington without any significant progress, and on Tuesday, Cuerpo described the conversation with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as "useful and constructive." The Spanish minister asserted that it was necessary to continue "offering dialogue" to the United States. In a brief statement on Wednesday regarding the meeting, Bessent demanded that Spain increase defense spending and eliminate the Google tax.