Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni will host US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, seeking to ease tensions around American tariffs against European products and position herself as a diplomatic tie between Washington and Brussels.
Meloni’s visit comes at a delicate time as she balances her ideological alignment with Trump and her responsibility to represent broader European Union (EU) interests. While Italy maintains a strong trade relationship with the US boasting a €40 billion ($45.4 billion) trade surplus last year Meloni must also be mindful of EU unity, particularly amid concerns from France and other member states.
French ministers have cautioned that her solo visit threatens to weaken the EU’s united stance, but the European Commission has welcomed the visit. With Trump having recently suspended most global tariffs for 90 days, Meloni is less under pressure to negotiate a deal and more intent on establishing a constructive dialogue.
Political commentator Lorenzo Castellani of Luiss University stated the Italian leader is “no longer moving around in the midst of an open confrontation” but is playing “a de facto mediator role.”
Meloni was the sole EU leader to have attended Trump’s inauguration in January. Her meeting comes ahead of a top-level visit from US Vice President JD Vance to Rome, placing Italy at the heart of transatlantic diplomacy.
Both Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have called for the removal of reciprocal tariffs and a possible “zero-for-zero” industrial tariff deal. While von der Leyen has not yet managed to get a direct meeting with Trump, she and Meloni have been said to have coordinated closely in preparation for the summit.
Trump’s tough trade approach to China does not change, with some of the leaders of Europe, such as Spain’s Pedro Sanchez, calling for closer contact with Beijing. Italy, though, has moved away from such action, affirming its alignment with Washington on larger international issues.
