With its low defense spending and trade surplus with America, Italy was always bound to clash with Trump. Their spat can now help Meloni’s re-election hopes.
Hannah Roberts
In fact, Italy was precisely the sort of country Trump habitually complains about for free-riding on U.S. security guarantees. “Given the radical collision of U.S. and European interests, a clash was always on the cards,” said Daniele Albertazzi, professor at the University of Surrey and author of several books on Europe’s radical right.
Although the fight was always coming, it was uncertain how Meloni would respond. Unlike most world leaders who have brushed off Trump’s personal slights, the pugnacious Italian premier ultimately took the unusual step of escalating the dispute, skewering the American leader for impugning Italy’s national dignity.
After Trump mocked Meloni on Friday for allegedly “begging” him for a photograph at a recent meeting of the G7 leading economies, and accused her of exploiting their relationship for domestic political gain, she shot back that he had invented the incident and said her own popularity was suffering because of her friendship with him.
The intensity of her response was carefully politically calibrated in a country where Trump is roundly hated, and where Meloni faces re-election next year. An Ipsos survey in May found 77 percent of Italians had a negative view of Trump.
Her coalition partners in the center-right Forza Italia party have supported her, seeing the compelling political logic of standing up to Trump.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, leader of Forza Italia, called Trump’s words “grave and offensive” and cancelled a trip to the U.S. scheduled for early this week.
