Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is distancing herself from US President Donald Trump after months of cultivating a close relationship. The shift follows Trump's criticism of Meloni for failing to support the US-Israeli war on Iran, as well as his attack on Pope Leo, a vocal opponent of the conflict.
Trump told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that Meloni 'lacked courage' for not joining the war effort, adding: 'She doesn't care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes.' The rebuke came after Meloni described Trump's attack on Pope Leo as 'unacceptable'.
Meloni's pivot is also driven by domestic pressures. Her government suffered a defeat in a March referendum on judicial reform, and her pro-Trump stance has become a liability in Italy's anti-war culture. Analysts say the Pope Leo row provided a timely opportunity for Meloni to distance herself from Trump without alienating her base.
Meloni has taken concrete steps to signal the shift, including denying US military planes carrying weapons for the Iran war access to an airbase in Sicily. She also suspended a defence pact with Israel this week and reiterated support for Ukraine during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The ousting of her far-right ally Viktor Orbán in Hungary's elections may have further influenced Meloni's stance. US Vice-President JD Vance's visit to Budapest to boost Orbán's chances was seen as a 'kiss of death', according to political analyst Cecilia Sottilotta.
With general elections due in 2027, Meloni is now carefully recalibrating her foreign policy. Her balancing act reflects the challenge of maintaining nationalist credentials while responding to public sentiment against war and in favour of the Pope.
