If there was ever any doubt about who in Europe commands the ear of Donald Trump, Thursday’s meeting at the White House with Giorgia Meloni dispelled it.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, greeted with smiles and warm praise by the American President, emerged not just as a transatlantic interlocutor but as a symbolic pivot in European diplomacy. The optics were clear, the message even clearer: Trump is happy to deal with Meloni—and not Ursula von der Leyen.
While the European Commission President has been struggling to maintain her grip on the EU’s foreign policy direction, Meloni has, through sheer pragmatism and political alignment, positioned herself as Washington’s preferred point of contact.
Trump’s refusal to engage meaningfully with von der Leyen is more than just personal distaste. It reflects a deeper strategic shift: a move away from the Brussels bureaucracy towards national leaders who share his worldview—and are unafraid to assert themselves.
The central theme of the Meloni-Trump summit was trade. Both leaders expressed enthusiasm for a renewed transatlantic deal, with Trump confidently stating that a resolution to lingering tariff disputes with Europe would not pose “many problems.” For Meloni, the opportunity to represent European interests in such talks—despite holding no formal mandate from the EU—is a significant coup.
In Brussels, this encroachment onto the Commission’s turf will not have gone unnoticed. Trade negotiations have long been the exclusive remit of the European Commission, and von der Leyen’s sidelining here underscores her increasingly tenuous standing, both in Washington and at home. That Meloni, not von der Leyen, was invited to navigate one of the most pressing issues in EU-US relations is nothing short of a diplomatic humiliation for the Commission President.
Another point of harmony was defence. Trump, long critical of NATO members he considers freeloaders, had nothing but praise for Meloni’s pledge to raise Italy’s defence spending to meet the alliance’s 2% of GDP target. “A leader,” he called her—a compliment he rarely bestows.
Meloni has deftly capitalised on Trump’s priorities, presenting herself as a reliable partner on defence, trade, and migration. Her messaging resonates in Trump’s Washington: tough on borders, unapologetically nationalistic, and wary of globalist dogma. It’s a language von der Leyen does not speak—and perhaps cannot learn.
The two leaders also touched on Ukraine and Iran, with Trump reiterating his desire to see the war in Ukraine brought to a swift end. His discontent with all sides, including Volodymyr Zelenskyy, hints at a recalibration of US policy—one that Meloni seems ready to accept, or at least tolerate.
Here, too, the divergence with Brussels is stark. Von der Leyen has remained a staunch advocate of continued support for Kyiv, aligning the EU closely with Washington’s pre-2024 posture. But with Trump’s return, that posture is shifting—and Meloni’s adaptability stands in contrast to the rigidity of Commission orthodoxy.
On Iran, Trump was vague but positive, suggesting openness to negotiation. Meloni, ever the realist, offered no objections. Her approach, though ideologically conservative, is grounded in the pursuit of influence through proximity. By aligning with Washington’s new mood, she is ensuring that Italy—not the Commission—has a voice when the next chapter of global diplomacy is written.
The warmth between Trump and Meloni is genuine. Both are political outsiders who defied the establishment. Both have built brands around straight-talking nationalism. Their meeting was not just protocol—it was camaraderie. Trump’s acceptance of Meloni’s invitation to visit Rome is not just a pleasantry; it’s a signal that, to him, she matters.
By contrast, Ursula von der Leyen remains conspicuously out in the cold. Her lack of engagement with Trump—and his with her—undermines her authority at a critical juncture. In Brussels, perception is power, and von der Leyen’s absence from the Trump conversation speaks volumes.
There is unease in Brussels, and not just because of protocol. Meloni’s bilateral overtures risk fracturing the EU’s unified front on transatlantic policy. While some member states may quietly applaud her pragmatism, others worry it sets a dangerous precedent: that national leaders can bypass the Commission and speak for Europe on their own terms.
Such fragmentation plays directly into Trump’s hands. He has never disguised his preference for dealing with nations, not institutions. By elevating Meloni, he is encouraging other national leaders to do the same—leaving the European Commission increasingly irrelevant.
Giorgia Meloni’s meeting with Donald Trump may have seemed like just another diplomatic engagement, but it was something far more potent. It was a quiet revolution in how Europe and America conduct their business. And in that revolution, the European Commission—once the undisputed voice of the EU abroad—is being steadily drowned out.
As Trump eyes a potential second term, Meloni has clearly positioned herself as his European interlocutor of choice. Von der Leyen, meanwhile, is left clinging to the mechanics of process and protocol. If yesterday’s meeting proved anything, it is that in the world of Trumpian diplomacy, personal politics trumps institutional precedent—and Giorgia Meloni is playing the game better than anyone else in Brussels.
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Read Also: GIORGIA MELONI OUTPACES VON DER LEYEN AS BRUSSELS FRETS OVER TRUMP MEETING.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is rapidly asserting herself as the most influential political figure in Europe, leaving EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen scrambling to keep pace.
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