Giorgia Meloni Clung to Her Relationship with Trump – Now It’s Starting to Look Like a Liability | Riccardo Alcaro

Why It Matters

The fallout underscores how personal ties to a polarising U.S. leader can erode domestic support and complicate Italy’s strategic balancing between Washington and Brussels, influencing upcoming elections and EU‑US coordination.

Key Takeaways

• Trump publicly rebuked Meloni for refusing to support US attacks on Iran
• Italy's World Cup swap, tied to Trump envoy, was rejected by ministers
• Meloni's recent judicial reform referendum loss heightened scrutiny of her US ties
• She embraced Macron at Hormuz summit, signaling a pivot toward Europe
• Domestic backlash may force Meloni to distance from Trump before 2027 elections

Pulse Analysis

Meloni’s alignment with Donald Trump has long been a diplomatic double‑edged sword. While the Italian premier leveraged the former president’s populist cachet to bolster her nationalist credentials, the partnership was never rooted in concrete policy wins. The recent public criticism from Trump—centered on her refusal to endorse U.S. military action against Iran—exposed the fragility of that bond. Coupled with a botched attempt to swap Iran for Italy at the World Cup, the episode highlighted how personal diplomacy can quickly become a liability when geopolitical stakes shift.

At home, the fallout is palpable. Meloni’s party suffered a notable defeat in a judicial‑reform referendum, a loss analysts link to voter unease over her perceived proximity to Trump. The controversy intensified after the U.S. president’s disparaging remarks about Pope Leo XIV, forcing Meloni to defend the pontiff while walking a tightrope between Catholic constituents and an increasingly hostile American ally. This domestic turbulence threatens to erode her coalition’s cohesion ahead of the 2027 general election, where any lingering association with an unpopular U.S. figure could prove decisive.

Strategically, Meloni appears to be recalibrating toward Europe. Her public embrace of Emmanuel Macron at the recent Paris summit on the Strait of Hormuz signals a willingness to prioritize EU partnerships over a fraught U.S. relationship. Yet she cannot entirely abandon Washington, as trans‑Atlantic security and trade remain vital. The challenge will be to craft a pragmatic foreign‑policy narrative that satisfies Brussels, reassures domestic voters, and mitigates the reputational risks of a Trump‑centric approach. How successfully she navigates this crossroads will shape Italy’s role in a reshaped global order.