Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is heading to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. Her mission is clear: stop the new U.S. tariffs that could hurt Europe’s economy, especially Italy’s exporters. These tariffs are serious.
Meloni’s Special Meeting with Trump
If they go through, Europe could face a 20% tax on all its exports to the United States. On top of that, steel, aluminium, and cars would get hit with an extra 25% tax, on top of a base 10% tariff.
This would be very bad news for Italian companies. Italy is the third-largest country in Europe when it comes to selling goods to the U.S. In fact, Italy sells about 40 billion euros worth of goods more than it buys from the U.S. These exports include important products like machines, cars, medicines, fashion, and food. If these goods become more expensive in the U.S. due to the tariffs, American buyers might stop buying them.
But Meloni believes she has something special—a personal connection with Trump. Earlier this year, Trump called Meloni a “fantastic leader and person” and even invited her to his inauguration. Many in Europe think this friendship could help where others have failed.
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Why Meloni Might Succeed Where Others Didn’t
Meloni’s European peers have already tried to stop Trump from imposing these heavy tariffs. They used many tactics—some tried flattering him, some threatened consequences, and some even promised to buy more American gas. But none of these efforts worked. Talks simply went nowhere.
Now, the European Union has only three months left to change Trump’s mind. This makes Meloni’s meeting with him very important. According to Italian officials, Meloni thinks Trump is not acting out of anger. She believes he uses these kinds of threats as a way to make deals. In other words, she sees this as a business move, not a final decision.
One Italian official told Politico that having Trump’s attention is valuable for the whole European Union. This same official also pointed out that Meloni shares political values with Trump and many American conservatives. This makes it easier for them to speak the same language and maybe find a solution.
German leaders also believe Meloni’s trip is a good sign. Johann Wadephul, a key voice in Germany’s Christian Democrats, praised Meloni’s good connection with Trump. He said she can now use that friendship to help all of Europe.
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Even Marco Scurria, a senator from Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, said that in politics, personal relationships matter. He believes it’s better for someone like Meloni—who has mutual respect with Trump—to lead such a complex negotiation. He also made a point that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen doesn’t have the same kind of relationship with Trump, which makes things harder.
A Divided Europe and the Risk Ahead
While some countries support Meloni’s efforts, others are worried. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that Trump might be trying to split the European Union. If the EU breaks apart on trade issues, each country may have to make deals with the U.S. on its own. That would make Europe weaker and less able to protect itself.
France’s Industry Minister, Marc Ferracci, was clear in his reaction to Meloni’s trip. He said Europe needs to stick together, especially now. He believes that working as one group is the only way to stand strong against the U.S. tariff threat.
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Still, Meloni’s government thinks this one-on-one meeting is worth the risk. Officials close to her say that this could be the only chance to get through to Trump. They argue that if she can make progress, it helps everyone in Europe, not just Italy.
This is especially important because Italy sends so many valuable products to the U.S. Items like luxury clothes, high-end machines, strong medicines, and fine food are all part of Italy’s proud export tradition. If tariffs make these goods too expensive for Americans, Italian businesses could suffer. And that pain could spread across Europe, too.
Meloni’s visit to Washington is not just about one country. It’s about whether a single leader with a special connection can prevent a major economic hit for an entire continent. Whether Europe stays united or divided, and whether these tariffs are applied or stopped, will depend heavily on how this meeting goes.
For now, all eyes are on Meloni and Trump, as Europe waits for a sign of hope.