President-elect Trump is playing host to Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni at Mar-a-Lago this weekend, suggesting he plans to forge a warmer relationship with one of his closest European allies.
Trump praised Meloni, 47, for taking “Europe by storm” during a dinner on Saturday night. Meloni was elected in 2022 after running on a pro-family and anti-immigration agenda, considered “far right” by many in the media.
Meloni is Italy’s first female prime minister, and has served as leader of the Brothers of Italy party since 2014. Both he and his team have been buoyed by the response to the Italian government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meloni’s coalition government is perhaps Trump’s closest ally within the European Union. Meloni has also developed a close relationship with senior Trump ally Elon Musk, who has been a regular at Mar-a-Lago since Election Day.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni speaks to the media with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (not pictured) after their meeting at the Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Similar to the US, Italy faces a serious problem of illegal immigration with migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to its shores. Meloni’s policy of “return zones” ensures that migrants are not released to Italy during their asylum process, a system he says has become a “model” in Europe.
“It’s a new, bold, unprecedented approach, but it really reflects the European spirit,” he said of the show in October.
Meloni has also shown that he is not in line with social groups, until last year he decided to reduce the rights of same-sex parents. The policy ensures that only the married parent of the child enjoys full parental rights.
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Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc and X CEO speaks at the Atreju political meeting organized by Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy), on Dec. 15, 2023, Rome, Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni’s party has organized a four-day political event in the Italian capital. (Photos by Antonio Masiello/Getty)
Meloni’s coalition government has also proved unusually stable compared to recent Italian history. He has avoided fighting within his party and opposition leaders have failed to rally around any candidate to challenge him.
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All of this puts Meloni in a natural position to serve as a liaison between the Trump administration and the European Union over the next four years.
Giorgia Meloni made an unannounced appearance at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence this weekend. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Trump’s pick for secretary of state, was also in attendance when Meloni visited Trump’s Florida residence this weekend.
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President Biden he will go later this week to Rome to meet Meloni and then Pope Francis. The White House said the meeting between Biden and Meloni will “highlight the strength of the US-Italy relationship” and will include the president thanking the prime minister for his “strong leadership of the G7 over the past year.”