Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Florida on Saturday, 5 January, to meet with former President Donald Trump. The visit aimed to solidify relations with Trump ahead of his inauguration on 20 January.
At Mar-a-Lago, Trump introduced Meloni to the audience, and guests responded with applause. Subsequently, videos of this interaction quickly circulated on social media.
This meeting comes just ahead of Meloni’s scheduled visit to Rome, where she will meet US President Joe Biden from Thursday to 12 January. Trump, who won the November election, is now preparing for his return to the White House.
Discussions and strategic partnerships
Though the specifics of their discussions remain confidential, reports suggest they touched on several key issues. These included the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, international trade dynamics, and the Middle East. Moreover, the pair are believed to have discussed the troubling case of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist detained in Tehran.
Notably, Meloni’s political alignment and leadership style appear to make her a strong partner for Trump. She leads Italy’s stable right-wing coalition and shares many of his conservative views. Furthermore, she has developed a close relationship with Elon Musk, a significant ally of Trump who has previously invested heavily in supporting the former president.
Trump, in turn, commended Meloni, calling her leadership “exciting” and emphasising her impact in Europe. He addressed the Mar-a-Lago crowd, saying, “I’m here with a fantastic woman, the Prime Minister of Italy. She’s really taken Europe by storm.”
Cecilia Sala’s detention and diplomatic concerns
One of the ongoing challenges for Meloni is the detention of journalist Cecilia Sala in Iran. On 19 December, Iranian authorities arrested Sala, just days after the arrest of Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini at Milan’s Malpensa airport. Abedini, who faces US charges for supplying drone parts allegedly linked to an attack in 2023 that killed three US service members in Jordan, has denied the allegations. Iran also disputes its involvement in the incident.
In response to the arrest of Abedini, Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Italy’s ambassador to discuss the matter. This development was widely covered by Iranian state media.
Meloni’s meeting with Trump places her alongside other foreign leaders who have visited him since the November election. Notable figures such as Argentinian President Javier Milei, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have also engaged with Trump during this period.
