Meloni to lean into positive relationship with Trump in move to drop tariff war

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Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni is expected to meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday in a step to alleviate tensions and play the mediator between the White House and the European Union amid a series of definitions imposed by the president against the bloc.
Trump referred to Meloni as a “great leader and a person”, and the Italian Prime Minister was one of the few international leaders who attended his inauguration in January.
But it is believed that the Italian leader is more in mind than maintaining positive relationships with Trump. She looks forward to leading the charge in protecting the European Union’s economy.
Donald Trump, the then -elected with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, meet in Mar Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 4, 2025. (government/Italian Bulletin via Reuters)
Who is Georgia Meloni? Trump hosts the Italian Prime Minister in Mar Lago
“I think the Europeans see this as an opportunity, not a dilemma. Meloni is in an ideal position to serve as a bridge by Atlantic between Brussels and Washington,” said Peter Rove, a great colleague and director of the European Center and Ourasia with the Hudson Institute, for Fox News Digital.
“It has good relationships with Ursula von der Lin, president [European Union] A commission, which is a natural occasion for Trump, given the mutual national preservation. “
In front of the European Union until July to persuade the President, contrary to his 20 % study of the “mutual tariff” issued on April 2, “Tahrir Day”, which stopped temporarily after one week for 90 days after global repercussions.
But the European Union is still 10 % basic definitions, as Trump hit all trading partners, as well as 25 % definitions on steel, aluminum and vehicles.
This customs tariff, although it was not welcomed, was not a complete shock to international leaders, as Trump pledged to enact a sweeping tariff while they were in the campaign, and in the weeks before April 2, European Union leaders are said to have proposed a deal from scratch to scratch with Washington in the president’s transfer from the definitions.
The White House did not answer the Fox News Digital questions about the reason why the president did not accept the deal. Instead, he moved forward with what he called “mutual tariff”.

President Donald Trump holds a plan for “mutual definitions” while speaking during a White House commercial event on April 2, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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But Meloni is expected to pay this proposal because it is under pressure not only to achieve a balance between Italy’s position as a member of the European Union and to maintain its strong historical relations with the United States, as it also faces internal pressures due to the consequences that a trade war with the United States will obtain over its country’s economy.
The United States has become in the export market No. 1 in Italy, which is worth $ 76 billion in 2024, although Rome was importing only $ 32 billion from the United States in the same year, according to government trade data, as it contributed to what Trump classifies as “unfair trading” practices.

President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giojia Meloni (Getty Images)
Italy is the third largest source of the European Union for the United States behind Germany and Ireland, which means that Meloni faces great internal pressure to take advantage of its good relations with Trump before the Italians started feeling real economic pain, especially since many of Washington’s industries in the war of tariffs under American exports such as machines, pharmaceutical officials, textiles and food such as Cheese.
“Instead of submitting to the secrets of secrets or bridges burning with the White House, her words were carefully chosen since the president issued his introductory announcement two weeks ago.” “I don’t know if it will be successful this week, but if anyone can do this, it is possible that Meloni is. I got a lot of credibility.”
Other European Union leaders, such as the Prime Minister of Ireland, made similar flights to the United States to meet Trump, although it was not enough to avoid the hypothesis of the blanket by 20 % this month.

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, the left, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Lin (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
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However, reports indicate that some European Union leaders are still hoping that Meloni will run the tide.
But the European Union does not lay all its eggs in the Melonian basket. Earlier this week, the European Union Commissioner for Trade Maros šefčovi met with US Minister of Trade Howard Lootnick and American Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and said in a post on social media that the European Union is still committed to finding a “mutual solution to unjustified tariffs.”
“The European Union is still based and ready for a fair deal-including the reciprocity of our exhibition 0 against 0 on industrial goods and working in unacceptable barriers,” he wrote. “Achieving this will require an important shared effort on both sides.”
Meloni’s office has not immediately answered Fox News Digital questions about whether to consider a deal between Italy and the United States instead of working on the entire European Union deal.
2025-04-17 10:30:00