ROME — European leaders have rallied in support of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who questioned Italy's reliability as a wartime ally. Trump also claimed Meloni had "groveled" for his attention.

Meloni responded to Trump's direct criticism in a post on social media. She wrote, "As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you." Meloni also called Trump's criticism of Pope Leo "unacceptable."

This recent show of support from European leaders marks a shift, as Meloni's relationship with them had previously been strained due to her hard-right political roots. Before March 2026, France and Germany had often excluded her from small-group discussions concerning Europe's responses to major foreign policy crises. In March 2026, Meloni did not allow U.S. bombers destined for the Middle East to use a base in Sicily without parliamentary approval.

In late June, Meloni attended a meeting in Berlin with the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, and Poland. The day after the Berlin meeting, on July 1, she met with French President Emmanuel Macron in southern France. This marked their first bilateral summit since the pandemic. European leaders are currently coordinating on defense, tariffs, and foreign policy in response to wars in Ukraine and Iran, a trade deficit with China, and threats from Russia. A NATO summit is scheduled to take place in Turkey.

Sudha David-Wilp, vice president at the German Marshall Fund, commented on the situation. "Most of the mainstream leaders realize that Europe is getting squeezed between China and America, and so, if not now, then when?" David-Wilp stated. She added that European nations "need to act as a bloc in order to maintain Europe's place in the world."

Lorenzo Castellani, a political analyst and professor at Rome's LUISS University, observed that this situation "pushes everyone to consider a European horizon more than an international one." Castellani further noted that "at a certain point, when voters see the price of gasoline rising because of a war perceived as distant, they ask Meloni for the bill, not Trump." A Pew Research Center survey found that 83% of Italians have no confidence in Donald Trump's ability to manage foreign affairs. An analysis by the consultancy Maplecroft suggested that negative perceptions of the Trump administration may have affected Viktor Orbán politically.

Why It Matters

The convergence of support for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni from other European leaders indicates a potential shift in continental political dynamics. This comes after a period where Meloni's hard-right alignment led to her exclusion from key European diplomatic discussions. The solidarity demonstrated by European leaders following criticism from a prominent U.S. political figure reflects a broader effort among European nations to address shared challenges in defense, trade, and foreign policy. This coordination is occurring during international conflicts and economic pressures, potentially influencing Europe's collective standing in global affairs.