Donald Trump? A “strong and authoritative” leader. That’s how Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the U.S. president, a figure she has long admired, even attending his inauguration. On the eve of the European Council summit in Brussels, Meloni expressed her views during a debate in the Italian Parliament. The meeting will address the “Rearm Europe” plan, an initiative proposed by the EU Commission to strengthen Europe’s defense in response to the U.S. reducing its global security role.
“We support Trump’s efforts,” Meloni told lawmakers. “He is a strong and authoritative leader who can set the conditions for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. We will not see the same kind of Western weakness that we witnessed in Afghanistan. The issue is about securing peace through clear security guarantees,” she said.
Meloni also referred to a recent discussion between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “From what we’ve learned, there’s a proposal for a limited ceasefire focusing on strategic infrastructure. It’s the first hint of what was previously agreed upon between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.”
The issue of European rearmament and arms supplies to Ukraine has sparked divisions in Italy, both within the ruling coalition and the opposition. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, has voiced strong opposition to the plan, arguing that if 800 billion euros are available, they should be invested in schools instead of military spending. Meanwhile, Forza Italia, led by Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, has already backed the initiative in the European Parliament. Opposition parties are also divided: the Five Star Movement advocates for peace, while the Democratic Party remains split internally.
In the Chamber of Deputies, Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein criticized the “Rearm Europe” plan, calling for it to be “radically changed.” She argued that Europe needs a “common defense” rather than an “arms race” between individual nations, suggesting that a unified European army should be funded through joint investments and European debt, rather than relying on national debt.
Italy’s position at the March 20-21 Brussels meeting is set to be complicated. However, Meloni did manage to unite the opposition, from the center to the far left, on one issue. In Parliament, she condemned the Ventotene Manifesto—a document created by European federalists during their exile in fascist Italy. The Manifesto, which envisions a federal European state, includes references to “revolution” as a means to achieve “true democracy.” Meloni rejected this vision, stating that the manifesto, written by socialist exiles who later played a major role in shaping Italy’s post-war republic, does not align with her own views. Her comments sparked an uproar in Parliament, leading to the suspension of the session.
