Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise visit to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where she was hailed by the President-elect Donald Trump as a “fantastic woman”. Meloni, who leads the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, has been building ties with the incoming Trump administration, particularly with Elon Musk, a key ally of Trump.
The meeting between Meloni and Trump was also attended by Senator Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, and Representative Mike Waltz, his nominee for national security advisor. While the details of their discussion remain undisclosed, it’s likely that they touched on pressing global issues, including the detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was arrested in Iran last month.
Meloni’s visit to Mar-a-Lago is seen as an effort to strengthen ties between Italy and the US, particularly with the incoming Trump administration. Her conservative credentials and stability in Italy make her a natural ally for Trump, who is set to take office on January 20.
The Italian Prime Minister has also been a strong supporter of Ukraine, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky a dozen times since Russia’s invasion. Meanwhile, her friendship with Elon Musk has been growing, with the Tesla founder headlining her party’s convention in December last year.
Meloni’s visit to Florida comes ahead of her meeting with President Joe Biden, who will visit Rome this week. Biden is expected to thank Meloni for her leadership of the G7 and discuss global challenges.
Other world leaders who have visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago include Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
