ROME — Giorgia Meloni is poised to leverage her friendship with the unpredictable occupant of the White House this week during her visit to Washington. The Italian Prime Minister aims to convince President Donald Trump to refrain from imposing new tariffs that could severely impact the European economy, with potentially disastrous consequences for Italian exporters.
Meloni’s close engagement with Trump has raised eyebrows among other EU member states. However, as Europe faces the threat of a potentially devastating trade war, even the most skeptical leaders have begun to acknowledge that Meloni may be the only European leader Trump is willing to listen to.
The right-wing leader has a favorable relationship with Trump, who praised her as a “fantastic leader and person” following her re-election last year and invited her to his inauguration in January.
Time-sensitive negotiations
The European Union now has three months to persuade Trump against implementing a 20% tariff on all exports to the United States, after he recently suspended the