Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni holds a year-end press convention in Rome in January.
Alessandra Tarantino/AP
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Alessandra Tarantino/AP
MILAN — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni will take a look at her mettle as a bridge between the EU and the USA when she meets with U.S. President Donald Trump within the White Home on Thursday, the primary European chief to have a face-to-face with Trump since he introduced, after which suspended, 20% tariffs on European exports.
Meloni secured the assembly at a essential juncture within the commerce conflict as Italy’s chief, however she additionally has, in a way, been “knighted” to signify the European Union. She has been in shut contact with EU Fee President Ursula von der Leyen forward of the journey, and “the outreach is … closely coordinated,” a fee spokeswoman mentioned this week.
“We know we are in a difficult moment,” Meloni mentioned this week in Rome. “Most certainly, I am well aware of what I represent, and what I am defending.”
The European Union is defending what it calls “the most important commercial relationship in the world,” with annual trade reaching 1.6 trillion euros ($1.8 trillion).
Trade negotiations fall under the European Commission’s authority, which is pushing for a zero-for-zero tariff deal with the U.S. However, Trump administration officials in talks with the EU have yet to publicly show signs of relenting on Trump’s insistence that a baseline 10% tariff be charged on all foreign imports. He paused for 90 days a retaliatory increase to 20%.
The pause has raised some hopes for negotiations, and Meloni’s margins for progress are more in gaining clarity on Trump’s goals rather than outright concessions, experts say.
“It’s a very delicate mission,” said Fabian Zuleeg, chief economist at the European Policy Center think tank in Brussels. “There may be the entire commerce agenda, and whereas she’s not formally negotiating, we all know that Trump likes to have this type of casual alternate, which in a way is a negotiation. So it is quite a bit on her plate.”
Because the chief of a far-right get together, Meloni is ideologically aligned with Trump on points together with curbing migration, selling conventional values and skepticism towards multilateral establishments. However stark variations have emerged in Meloni’s unwavering help for Ukraine.
After being the one European chief to attend the Jan. 20 inauguration, Meloni has responded with studied restraint as abrupt shifts in U.S. coverage underneath Trump have frayed the trans-Atlantic alliance. She has denounced the tariffs as “wrong” and warned that “dividing the West would be disastrous for everyone,” after Trump’s heated White Home alternate with Ukraine’s president.
“She has been very cautious,” said Wolfango Piccoli, an analyst at the London-based Teneo consultancy. “It’s what we want when we now have a counterpart that’s altering on daily basis.”
Italy maintains a 40 billion euro commerce surplus with the USA, its largest with any nation, fueled by People’ urge for food for Italian glowing wine, foodstuffs like Parmigiano Reggiano onerous cheese and Parma ham, and Italian luxurious vogue. These are all sectors essential to the Italian economic system, and largely supported by small- and medium-sized producers who’re core center-right voters.
“All in all, I think she will focus on the very strong economic and trade relations that Italy has with the United States, not just in terms of exports, but also services and energy,” mentioned Antonio Villafranca, vp of the ISPI suppose tank in Milan. “For example, Italy could even consider importing more gas from the U.S.”
The assembly comes towards the backdrop of rising issues over international uncertainty generated by the escalating tariff wars. Italy’s progress forecast for this yr has already been slashed from 1% to 0.5% in consequence.
Meloni can also be anticipated to deal with Trump’s demand for NATO companions to extend navy spending to 2% of gross home product. Italy’s spending, at 1.49% of GDP, is among the many lowest in Europe.
Specialists cautioned, nevertheless, towards elevating expectations over any concrete progress.
“The best strategy has been to be very circumspect: Get there, get the meeting, get the photo opportunity,” Piccoli mentioned. “If she is able to come back, and give a sense of how Washington wants to frame future relations on trade, defense and Ukraine policy, that would be a huge win.”
