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President-elect Trump will host Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago this weekend, suggesting he plans to develop a warmer relationship with one of his closest ideological allies in Europe.
Trump praised Meloni, 47, as he “took Europe by storm” during a Saturday night dinner. Meloni was elected in 2022 after running on a conservative pro-family and anti-immigration agenda, which many media outlets called “extreme right.”
Meloni is the first female Prime Minister of Italy, and since 2014 she has been the leader of the Brothers of Italy party. Both she and her party have grown in popularity thanks to the backlash against the Italian government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Melona’s coalition government is probably the closest ideological ally that Trump has within the European Union. Meloni has also developed a close relationship with top Trump ally Elon Musk, who has been visiting Mar-a-Lago since Election Day.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addresses the media alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (not pictured) after their meeting at the Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy on October 10, 2024. (Massimo Valicchia/Nur Photo via Getty Images)
Similar to the US, Italy faces a major illegal immigration problem with migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to its shores. Melona’s “return center” policy ensures that migrants are not allowed into Italy during the asylum process, a program he says has become a “model” for Europe.
“It’s a new, bold and unprecedented path, but one that perfectly reflects the European spirit,” she said of the program in October.
Meloni has also proven to be opposed to social issues, limiting parental rights for same-sex couples last year. The policy ensures that only the biological parent of a child within a same-sex marriage enjoys full parental rights.
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Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc and X CEO speaks at the Atreju political convention organized by Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) on December 15, 2023 in Rome, Italy. The right-wing political party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni organized a four-day political festival in the Italian capital. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
Meloni’s coalition The government has also proved unusually stable compared to Italy’s recent history. She avoided internal conflicts within her party, and opposition leaders failed to rally around a single candidate who would effectively oppose her.
All of this puts Meloni in a natural position to serve as a mediator 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 nominee for secretary of state, was also present when Meloni visited Trump’s Florida residence this weekend.
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President Biden plans to travel to Rome later this week to meet with Meloni and then Pope Francis. The White House said Biden’s meeting with Meloni will “highlight the strength of the US-Italy relationship” and will include the president thanking the prime minister “for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year.”
