Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is seeking to play the role of a mediator between the EU and the US during her meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. She is the first European leader to meet Trump since he announced and then suspended the implementation of 20 percent tariffs on European exports, France 24 reports.
Meloni, who is in close coordination with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is taking on the role of a kind of mediator between Brussels and Washington. According to a Commission spokesman, contacts between Rome and Brussels were “closely coordinated” in the run-up to the visit.
“I am aware of my responsibility and what I am defending”, Meloni said in Rome earlier this week. She acknowledged that the meeting comes at a particularly delicate moment for transatlantic relations.
With annual trade of 1.6 trillion euros, the EU-US trade relationship is considered the most significant in the world. However, the Trump administration continues to insist on a basic 10 percent tariff on all foreign imports, an issue that directly affects the economic interests of European countries. For now, the 90-day delay in higher tariffs is seen as a gesture of goodwill, but real progress remains uncertain.
It is in this context that experts see Meloni's visit as an opportunity to probe Trump's intentions rather than reach concrete agreements.
“This is a very delicate mission“, commented Fabian Zuleg, chief economist at the European Policy Center. “Although she is not leading the official negotiations, Trump prefers an informal style of communication that sometimes carries more weight than formal channels.“
As the leader of a right-wing populist party, Meloni and Trump share similar positions on issues such as immigration, traditional values and euroscepticism. But their differences are most apparent on foreign policy, with Meloni one of Europe's most vocal supporters of Ukraine, while Trump has taken a more measured approach to the conflict.
Meloni condemned the tariffs as a "wrong move" and warned that "a division within the West could have catastrophic consequences."
"She is extremely cautious - and that is exactly what is needed when dealing with such a volatile partner," said Wolfgang Piccoli, an analyst at London-based consultancy Teneo.
Italy is particularly vulnerable to potential tariffs, as it runs a trade surplus of more than 40 billion euros with the United States. The American market is a major consumer of iconic Italian products such as sparkling wine, Parmesan cheese, Parma ham, and luxury fashion - sectors in which small and medium-sized enterprises play a leading role and which constitute the electoral base of the country's right.
“Meloni is likely to emphasize the strategic economic relationship between the two countries - not only in the field of exports, but also in terms of services and energy supplies“, predicts Antonio Villafranca, vice president of the Milanese think tank ISPI. According to him, Italy may even propose increasing imports of American liquefied natural gas.
The meeting is taking place against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and global tensions. Expectations for Italian economic growth have already been lowered from 1% to 0.5%, and the escalating tariff war remains a major risk.
The EU, for its part, is threatening “hard countermeasures“ if the tariffs are finally introduced. However, experts advise not to overestimate the potential of the meeting.
“The most realistic scenario is that this visit will be used to build trust, to read signals from Washington and to create a channel for future dialogue“, Piccoli concludes.
“If Meloni returns with a clearer understanding of US priorities in trade, defense and the Ukrainian crisis, that in itself will be a significant success.“