Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister seeks to strengthen ties with the US president-elect ahead of his swearing
This meeting comes at a politically sensitive time for Meloni, as she aims to bolster her relationship with the US president-elect ahead of his upcoming inauguration.
The timing of her trip is particularly intriguing, occurring just days before outgoing President Joe Biden’s scheduled visit to Rome and the Vatican for his final overseas engagement before leaving office.
During the dinner, Trump expressed his admiration for Meloni, referring to her as a “fantastic woman” who has “really taken Europe by storm.”
However, Meloni refrained from making any public statements regarding her visit, and her office has not issued any comments either. Historically, Meloni has been a strong supporter of Trump during his previous term, even when she was considered a fringe opposition figure in Italy.
Recently, she has also developed a close friendship with Elon Musk, Trump’s advisor and the world’s wealthiest individual.
Significant Political Alliances and Ideological Affinities: The Context of Meloni’s Visit
Among the attendees at Mar-a-Lago was Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, who praised Meloni as a “great ally” and a “strong leader.”
Members of Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party are optimistic that her ideological alignment with Trump will position her as one of his key European allies.
Trump has shown enthusiasm for Meloni, having met her previously in Paris during the reopening ceremony of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Meloni’s visit places her among a select group of foreign leaders who have traveled to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump following his re-election but before his inauguration on January 20.
Other right-wing leaders, such as Viktor Orbán from Hungary and Javier Milei from Argentina, have also made similar visits. Notably, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an emergency visit after Trump threatened to impose significant import tariffs on Canada.
Navigating Diplomatic Challenges: Meloni Faces Scrutiny Amid Journalist’s Detention in Iran
This visit comes at a challenging moment for Meloni, as she grapples with a significant diplomatic crisis following the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Iran.
Sala was detained while in Iran on a valid journalist visa just days after Italy arrested Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini, who is wanted in the US for allegedly exporting drone technology linked to the deaths of three American soldiers in Jordan last year.
In a rare communication with her family, Sala revealed that she is being held in solitary confinement in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, where she sleeps on the floor under constant light.
Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, has reported that Sala was arrested for “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic,” although no further details have been provided.
Additionally, the Iranian embassy in Rome has explicitly connected Sala’s detention to Italy’s recent arrest of Abedini, who Tehran is demanding be released more swiftly.
Tehran has warned Rome of damage to bilateral ties if its citizen is extradited to the US
Abedini is due to appear in court in Italy on January 15, where his lawyer will plead for him to be taken out of jail and put under house arrest.
The US justice department has warned Rome against such a step, citing past precedents under which suspects sought by the US for criminal trial have managed to escape from Italian house arrest.