President-elect Trump is playing host to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago this weekend, suggesting he plans to develop a warmer relationship with one of his closest ideological allies in Europe.
Trump praised Meloni, 47, for having “taken Europe by storm” during a dinner Saturday night. Meloni was elected in 2022 after running on a conservative pro-family and anti-immigration agenda, panned as “far-right” by many in the media.
Meloni is the first female Italian prime minister, and she has served as leader of the Brothers of Italy party since 2014. Both she and her party surged in popularity thanks to backlash against how the Italian government handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meloni’s coalition government is likely the closest ideological ally Trump has within the European Union. Meloni has also developed a close relationship with top Trump ally Elon Musk, who has frequented Mar-a-Lago since Election Day.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addresses the media alongside Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (not pictured) after their meeting at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Similar to the U.S., Italy faces a major illegal immigration problem with migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to their shores. Meloni’s “return hubs” policy ensures that migrants are not released into Italy during their asylum process, a program she says has become a “model” for Europe.
“It is a new, courageous, unprecedented path, but one that perfectly reflects the European spirit,” she said of the program in October.
Meloni has also proven to go against the grain on social issues, moving last year to limit parental rights for same-sex couples. The policy ensures that only the biological parent of a child within a same-sex marriage enjoys full parental rights.
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