Meloni Is Distancing Herself From Trump
2- 9.04.2026, 22:14
- 6,926
What happened.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni distanced herself from U.S. President Donald Trump during a speech in parliament on Thursday, trying to hold on to her position after his painful defeat in last month's referendum, writes Politico.
"The West stands on two pillars: the European and the American. If they move in different directions, it threatens paralysis," Meloni said, adding that she continues to "believe in the need to work to keep the West united."
The speech came after the government lost a referendum on judicial reform - seen by many as a vote of confidence for Meloni herself. Her allies attributed the defeat to rising energy prices due to the war with Iran, as well as her closeness to Trump, who is increasingly seen as a toxic figure even among the right.
The center-right prime minister publicly noted differences with the American leader for the first time since Trump's re-election in 2024.
"As it is between allies, we must speak clearly even when we disagree," Meloni said in parliament.
She cited examples where her government, she said, had disagreed with the White House, from a customs policy "that we have repeatedly called a wrong decision," to defending "the honor of our military in Afghanistan, which has been called unnecessary," as well as supporting the territorial integrity of Greenland with European allies.
The Italian leader also described the war with Iran as a military operation that Italy neither agreed with nor participated in... "which was particularly clear in the case of Sigonella." At issue - for the first time publicly - is Italy's decision to refuse to allow a U.S. military plane to land at Sigonella airbase in Sicily before flying to the Middle East.
Meloni's remarks on Thursday were an apparent turn in rhetoric regarding an alliance with Trump - who has low popularity in Italy - compared to a softer stance earlier this year.
Meloni has previously called Trump's duties against European countries that sent troops to Greenland a "mistake" but also attributed them to a "misunderstanding." She also supported the idea of nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The soaring energy prices associated with the conflict in the Middle East are becoming a major political issue.
According to a Bank of Italy report released Friday, the economic growth forecast was downgraded due to "exceptionally high levels of uncertainty." This means that the impact of the war with Iran on Italy's energy market and economy could lead to a recession.
These circumstances hamper the Meloni government's ability to find resources for next year's final pre-election budget and secure additional financial support from voters.
With this backdrop, she again raised a proposal, already voiced by her ministers and previously rejected by the European Commission, to temporarily suspend the Stability and Growth Pact if the conflict continues.
On Wednesday, Vice-Pr. French European Commissioner Stephane Sejournet said the EU was not ruling out more flexibility in the crisis.
The Iranian crisis has doubled gas prices and left Europe with record empty gas storage facilities. But while the EU is using the shock as an incentive for systemic energy restructuring, Ukraine continues to patch holes and risks entering next winter with minimal reserves.
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