Why 'middle ground Meloni' is Europe's greatest asset

By Luke Magalhaes

Italy finds itself in a new type of hot water this week: 107% tariffs imposed by the US, and the reaction of Meloni’s government serves as yet another reminder of why the Italian Prime Minister is Europe’s greatest asset in dealing with Trump.

For a democratically elected European politician, Giorgia Meloni is, somewhat unusually, incredibly well-liked by Trump. He has described the Italian Prime Minister as a ‘wonderful woman’, and, from their stances on issues such as immigration, the economy and Christianity, the two could comfortably be paired together as political soulmates. Whilst the 31-year age gap would typically negate any romantic connection between the two, The Don (in)famously sees no issues with "dating his daughter", let alone someone his daughter’s age.

Meloni has maintained her cordial relationship with Trump whilst simultaneously fighting for Italian and European interests.

On a more serious note, Meloni’s sustained criticism of Trump’s tariffs demonstrates her importance as a middle ground between European concerns and the American right. Unlike autocratic puppets such as Hungary’s Orban and Belarus’ Lukashenko, who have pandered to Trump’s demands and taken the MAGA line since his return to the Oval Office, Meloni has maintained her cordial relationship with Trump whilst simultaneously fighting for Italian and European interests. In April, she described Liberation Day tariffs on the EU as a ‘wrong measure’, and now her government is lobbying Washington to reverse what has been described by Italy’s farming body as a ‘mortal blow’.

Meloni’s attitude to foreign policy sheds an even brighter beam on the middle ground that she occupies between Brussels and Washington. Whilst addressing the United Nations General Assembly last month, the Italian Prime Minister served up a Macron-esque ‘en même temps’ speech, espousing both EU and Trumpian rhetoric regarding the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. First, she undermined the White House line and condemned Putin’s violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and confirmed her support for Italy’s decision to vote in favour of sanctions on Israel, deeming Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza over the last two years ‘unacceptable’. Then, almost in the same sentence, she absolved Israel of blame for starting the war and praised Trump’s proposals for peace negotiated with certain Arab countries throughout September, saying that her government was ‘ready to lend a hand’.

Given Trump’s tendency to attack anyone who dares disagree with him, ask Anthony Scaramucci, Mike Pence or Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to give a few examples, you may be wondering how Meloni is in such good favour with Trump. As mentioned above, their views largely align on immigration, the economy and the importance of Christianity, however, what I believe is most influential in drawing Trump to Meloni is her firm hatred of all things woke. After all, Giorgia Meloni first went politically viral in 2019 with her (in)famous ‘Io sono Giorgia’, "I am Giorgia" speech in which, among other issues that she claimed her opponents wanted to introduce, she lamented a future in which mothers and fathers are referred to as ‘parent 1’ and ‘parent 2’.

It is telling of the current state of world affairs that a profoundly conservative politician with neo-fascist origins is being described as a middle ground. However, it is also testament to Meloni’s phenomenal political instinct, powerful communicative ability and her no-nonsense matter-of-factness that allows her to be both a darling of the American Conservative movement, as well as a harsh critic of Trumpian economics, Russian aggression and Israeli hostility.

In the evermore turbulent, unpredictable and extreme political environment that we find ourselves, the ability to build bridges on both sides is an increasingly vital skill; a skill that Giorgia Meloni possesses in abundance.

She was labelled ‘Italy’s most right-wing Prime Minister since Mussolini’ following her election victory in 2022, and arguably still is today. However, in the years since coming to power, her unwavering support for liberal institutions such as the EU and NATO, her continued criticism of violations of international law, and her desire to form and maintain cordial relations with political figures across the left-right divide, have dispelled and rendered ridiculous claims that Meloni is a fascist. She is proof that political leopards can change their spots, and Europe is better for it.

Meloni finds herself in almost complete solitude, in the centre of many political Venn diagrams. She is in the good books of both Ursula von de Leyen and JD Vance. She was the only anti-Putin EU leader to be invited to Trump’s 2nd inauguration. She has opened her borders to Palestinian children whilst vehemently opposing irregular immigration on Italian shores. In the evermore turbulent, unpredictable and extreme political environment that we find ourselves, the ability to build bridges on both sides is an increasingly vital skill; a skill that Giorgia Meloni possesses in abundance. For this reason, she is Europe’s greatest asset in dealing with Trump.

Image: Ansa