Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to meet President Trump at the White House on Thursday for what her aides describe as a high-stakes “commercial peace mission.”
European leaders are optimistic that Italy’s right-wing premier can act as a bridge between the Trump administration and the European Union, which Mr. Trump and his senior aides have criticized as a deadbeat, if not exploitative, partner in defense and trade.
There is hope in Rome, as well as in EU capitals across the 27-nation bloc, that Meloni can convince Mr. Trump against implementing the steep tariffs he has threatened, which could cripple European economies.
Meloni and Trump appear to have a strong rapport
Meloni has established herself as the European leader Mr. Trump is most inclined to heed. They share political and ideological affinities on various issues, including immigration and LGBTQ rights.
The only European leader invited to Mr. Trump’s inauguration in January, Meloni has received multiple accolades from him, being described as a “fantastic leader and person,” and someone with whom he could collaborate to “straighten out the world a little bit.”
Following the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last year, which both leaders attended, Mr. Trump remarked to the New York Post: “I was with her a lot” and “we get along great.”
However, the Italian leader must balance this emerging special relationship with her obligation to safeguard not only her nation’s economic interests but also those of the EU, tightly interlinked with Italy’s financial future.
Europe harbors hope and anxiety over the Trump-Meloni meeting
Prior to her trip, Meloni discussed strategies for her meeting with Mr. Trump with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in several phone calls, as confirmed by a commission spokesperson.
Despite multiple requests, von der Leyen has yet to secure a meeting with Mr. Trump. Meloni’s upcoming sit-down at the White House will mark the first meeting with a European leader since the administration announced its tariffs on virtually every nation it trades with at the beginning of April. With that announcement, the EU faced a blanket 20% tariff rate on all exports to the U.S., although Mr. Trump suspended those higher rates for 90 days shortly thereafter, maintaining a 10% universal rate.
While Meloni has gently criticized the sweeping tariffs on the EU as “wrong,” she has also urged the continent not to impose retaliatory measures, insisting that a calm approach focused on negotiations would yield a more constructive resolution.
The White House claims numerous countries have approached them to negotiate new trade agreements, with Mr. Trump boasting that leaders were calling him and “kissing my ass,” eager to secure deals to avoid the reimplementation of the higher tariffs.
“We know we’re going through a difficult period; let’s see how things unfold in the coming hours. I feel no pressure, as you can imagine, for the next two days,” Meloni expressed with a hint of irony at an awards ceremony two days before her White House meeting. “I am aware of what I represent, and I know what I am defending.”
Not all European politicians share a positive outlook regarding the outcomes of the Trump-Meloni meeting. Italian opposition leader Carlo Calenda warned, “the most important thing is that Meloni does not allow herself to be used by Trump to fracture the European front.”
In other European capitals, there was palpable anxiety about the potential for the White House to use this meeting to undermine EU unity.
“If we begin having bilateral discussions, it will undoubtedly disrupt the current dynamics,” remarked Marc Ferracci, the French Minister for Industry and Energy, last week, adding, “Europe is only strong when it stands united.”
A spokesperson for the French government later emphasized that any efforts to foster dialogue between Washington and the EU should be embraced. This sentiment was echoed by an EU spokesperson Monday, who highlighted the close coordination between Meloni and von der Leyen ahead of her trip to Washington and noted that this outreach was greatly welcomed.
Following her brief visit to Washington, Meloni is expected to return home, where she will meet with Vice President JD Vance on Friday during his visit to the Italian capital and the Vatican.
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin have all met with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office since he began his second term, but those encounters occurred prior to the major tariffs announcement on April 2.
