Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the latest foreign guest of President Donald Trump, is navigating a delicate balancing act as she seeks to maintain goodwill between her political allies in the European Union and her ideological counterpart in the White House.
Currently, the relationship between these transatlantic trading partners is far from cordial.
Meloni is among a new wave of hard-right European leaders who have forged connections with the Trump administration. With a shared commitment to stringent anti-immigration policies, she has become known as a close Trump ally, with the president praising her as “a real live wire” and “a fantastic woman.”
Meloni is among numerous leaders grappling with Trump’s extensive global tariffs. The E.U. initially faced a 20% tax on all goods exported to the United States, but following an international market downturn, Trump adjusted these tariffs to a flat 10% rate.
Trump has boasted that nations are eager to form agreements with his administration, claiming they have been “lining up and kissing my ass.”
However, as a member of the European Union, Italy is unable to negotiate trade agreements independently and must coordinate with the 27-member bloc, which Trump has characterized as a competitor intent on undermining Washington. His disdain for the E.U., as with many other international organizations, is well-known, and he prefers direct dealings.
In this context, Meloni arrives in Washington as an unofficial representative of the E.U., since its actual president, Ursula von der Leyen, has not spoken with Trump since he took office.
On Wednesday, Von der Leyen subtly criticized the “bros” in the White House in an interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit, stating that Trump’s trade war has altered the landscape of the West as we once knew it.
According to a spokesperson for the European Commission, Von der Leyen and Meloni had been in regular communication prior to the trip. Even centrist European leaders who might disagree with Meloni’s domestic policies hope that she can serve as a conduit to Washington.
“Everyone is hopeful, but no one knows what she will be able to accomplish,” remarked Charles Grant, founding director of the Center for European Reform think tank.
Despite her close relationship with Trump, Meloni’s government is somewhat “in the doghouse” with his administration, according to Grant, due to Italy’s low defense spending and its trade deficit with the U.S.—two issues that strongly concern Trump.
Italy allocates only 1.49% of its GDP to military expenditures, which is below NATO’s suggested 2% and ranks above only Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Spain, according to the latest figures from the alliance. Additionally, Italy faces a $45 billion trade deficit with the U.S., exporting significantly more goods—mainly manufacturing, medical products, cars, and wine—than it imports from America.
This situation also leaves Italy particularly susceptible to Trump’s tariffs, as American trade accounts for approximately 10% of its overall exports.
“Whether her personal charisma can resolve these challenges,” Grant said, “is uncertain, but I’m confident she will make the attempt.”
Meloni is not the first leader to seek a reprieve from Trump’s trade tumult, nor will she be the last.
On Wednesday, Trump personally intervened in the negotiations between the Japanese delegation visiting Washington and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Before withdrawing from potential tariffs, Trump had proposed a 24% tax on all Japanese imports into the U.S. Nonetheless, his own enthusiastic assessment of the talks, which he described as “Big Progress!” on Truth Social afterwards, was echoed by Japan’s chief negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa.
“One of the messages he was sending was that these negotiations with Japan are a top priority,” Akazawa informed reporters. “What genuinely impressed me was that he demonstrated leadership by being directly involved when the task at hand was significant.”
