Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that the European Union must be pragmatic and open with US President-elect Donald Trump to avoid a trade war, POLITICO reports.
Speaking in the Italian parliament ahead of a European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday, Meloni said:
“It is essential to maintain a pragmatic, constructive and open approach with the new Trump administration, exploiting areas of potential and fruitful EU-US co-operation and trying to prevent commercial disputes that would certainly not be good for anyone.”
Meloni currently appears to be one of the closest potential allies to Trump among EU leaders, representing a bridge between the EU and the Republican leader’s White House.
Referring to Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on European goods, Meloni previously said the EU should focus on itself rather than “what the US can do” for Europe. She said ahead of a meeting of EU leaders in Budapest on November 8.
“Don’t ask what the U.S. can do for you, ask what Europe should do for itself. Europe must find a balance … I’m thinking of the issues of competitiveness, tariffs … “
Earlier, POLITICO named Giorgia Meloni as the most influential European politician. The Italian Prime Minister has shown that she knows how to find an approach to completely opposite political forces, be it the Chinese government, Ursula von der Leyen or other important people in Brussels.
Meloni is also seen as one of the leaders of Europe in 2025, because Italy does not have a political crisis like Germany or France. It is likely that these factors will allow Meloni to start building relations between the “Old and New Worlds.” And if that doesn’t work out, she can always turn things around in Rome’s favour.
Italian PM recently showed once again that she also has friends in Latin America in the person of Javier Milei, who is also on good terms with Musk and Trump. As a result, we can assume that this is what the creation of a new alliance looks like, with Italy taking centre stage.
Donald Trump, after meeting Meloni in Paris, described her as a terrific person who will help him put the world in order.
