Italian
Italy relaunches dialogue between Europe and the USA
WASHINGTON. There is something more than simple diplomacy in the meeting between Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump at the White House: there is a vision. At the center, the crucial issue of tariffs imposed by the United States on European exports, which risk weighing heavily on the economy of the old continent. From the prime minister’s visit to Washington, an important piece of news emerged: distances can be reduced and Italy can act as a bridge.
Trump did not hide his esteem: “She is doing a fantastic job. She has taken Europe by storm. Everyone respects her.” And it wasn’t just a simple courtesy: it’s a sign that Meloni has managed to build a privileged channel with the Republican president favored in the upcoming elections. A channel useful not for personal or national favors, but to bring back to the table a structured negotiation between the USA and the EU on tariffs.
Meloni has chosen a serious approach: “I am here to help find an agreement.” No request for shortcuts for Italy, but a proposal for a method: Italy as the venue for a future summit with Trump and other European leaders to address the issue together. It’s a move that strengthens Italy’s position and at the same time avoids internal fractures within the Union.
The 25% duties on steel, aluminum, and cars not only affect the economic accounts: they risk opening a diplomatic freeze with Washington. But the Meloni-Trump meeting reopens the door to dialogue, and does so in a broader context: bilateral investments, industrial cooperation, energy transition, migration issues, and common defense. An alliance that also looks to the future: “We talked about the economy, space, energy, nuclear. Our companies will invest 10 billion in the coming years,” the prime minister recalled.
Equally important was his cultural and strategic message: “My goal is to make the West great again.” This statement should be read not nostalgically, but as a revival of a commercial and political alliance between the two shores of the Atlantic, starting precisely from what divides them: tariffs.
Meloni also spoke as President of the G7 and as a leader aware of the fragility of the historical moment. While other European leaders remain on the sidelines (Olaf Scholz did not secure a meeting with Trump), Italy demonstrates that diplomacy of courage can still work, if guided by a clear vision: not asking for exceptions, but creating conditions for a new balance.
If the West really wants to be “great again,” it cannot do so through trade barriers. If Europe wants to make a difference, it must have those who can speak to the United States without complexes, to find common solutions.
Meloni has achieved an important political result: reopening a negotiating channel on tariffs. Now it’s up to Europe to follow her lead and understand that, sometimes, the path to Brussels goes through Rome.
