Italian right-wing leader Meloni positions himself as Trump’s ally in Europe

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise visit to Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, meeting with President-elect Donald Trump for the second time since winning the US presidential election in November.

During their meeting in Florida, President Trump described Meloni as “an amazing woman…she really took Europe by storm” in a briefing with reporters.

Meloni, on the other hand, Posted in X She said she had a “fun night” with President Trump, and added that she was “ready to work together,” according to a Google translation of her post.

She previously met with the president-elect during the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in early December.

Mutual admiration means Meloni is well placed to establish himself as Trump’s key ally in Europe. Her transatlantic effort comes at a complicated time for other European powers, Germany and France, with their leaders struggling with domestic political challenges and both facing criticism from President Trump. facing.

There are many reasons why Mr. Meloni will be liked by the incoming administration, not least of which is President Trump’s threat of tariffs on Europe. During the recent election campaign, the former president threatened to impose a 10% tariff on all goods imported into the United States, the European Union’s largest trading partner in terms of exports.

For Italy, the costs could be significant.

A study by European risk analysis firm Promethea found that imposing a 10% tariff on imported goods could cost Italy’s economy up to $7 billion, as the United States is its second-largest export market after Germany. It is estimated that there is. Analysts at Caixabank believe Italy’s exposure to the US is around 4% of GDP, slightly behind Germany’s 5%.

In parallel with his meeting with Trump, Meloni has also been building ties with the United States. Mr. Elon Musk is tesla A boss who is expected to play an important role in the new Trump administration. In an interview with Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera, she described him as a “great man of our time”, adding that he was a “genius” and was wrongly portrayed as a “monster”. .

Late Sunday, Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, that the Italian government is working with Musk’s SpaceX to provide secure internet services to Rome via its Starlink satellite constellation. It was reported that preliminary discussions are underway regarding a 100 million dollar contract.

The prime minister’s office said Monday that Meloni did not discuss plans for SpaceX to supply Starlink services to Italy in his meeting with Trump, denying that a new agreement had been reached.

According to Reuters, Meloni’s office said in a memo: “The Prime Minister’s Office categorically denies that SpaceX came up in a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump, calling it ridiculous.” said. Any contact with SpaceX is part of “regular discussions” state officials have with the company, the memo added.

— CNBC’s Ryan Browne contributed to this report.