LTaken from the oval office of the White House between the Ukrainian presidents, Volodymyr Zelensky, and American, Donald Trump, and, by extension, between Washington and Europe, placed the president of the Italian council in a delicate position. Several hours after the altercation, Giorgia Meloni was the only one among European leaders to have refrained from openly supporting Volodymyr Zelensky.
In fact, the game was complicated. Range on the side of the Ukrainian leader would have compromised the particular relationship she has with Donald Trump, eager as she is to become her privileged European interlocutor. But, at the same time, to store on the side of the American president would have definitively made him pass as a nationalist to the low European commitment and little decided to defend Ukraine.
At the London summit on Ukraine in early March, Giorgia Meloni could not hide her discomfort. The demonstration of unity of European leaders strengthens the positions of those who have long defended a strategic Europe. It also weakens the plans of Giorgia Meloni consisting in relying on its bilateral relations with the Trump administration to better ensure its position in Europe – even if it means fragmenting its unity.
Meanwhile, in Italy itself, his coalition partner, Matteo Salvini, openly ranked in the Donald Trump camp. Alongside the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, he may want to try to seduce both Washington by presenting himself as an alternative to the right of Giorgia Meloni and also Italian public opinion which wants a term to be put in war in Ukraine.
Facilitator of transatlantic exchanges
Taken between two fires, Giorgia Meloni now works on a tightrope. The only real card that she can play is to carve out a role of mediator between Europe and Washington about Ukraine and, beyond, a role of facilitator of transatlantic exchanges. In fact, Donald Trump won the phone to speak to him more easily than he does with other European leaders. And yet, everything that shines is not gold. Giorgia Meloni is undoubtedly a skillful head of government, but she may play too big for her.
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