After yet another attack against Giorgia Meloni, Palazzo Chigi chooses not to respond. Crosetto: “People pass away, but relations between states must remain”.
Another day, another attack of the American President Donald Trump against the prime minister Giorgia Meloniin what is now becoming a strange custom, namely the insult to a (former) ally.
Trump’s post
The post published this morning on Truth from tycoon it has generated yet another (and more than justified) wave of indignation in Italy; In the memes, we see a lustful Meloni intent on looking at Donald Trump from behind, accompanied by the caption that reads: “we need a restraining order”, the same one given to stalkers.
It is not the first time that the tycoon has targeted the prime minister with over the top tones. It all started in mid-June, the day after the G7 meeting in Evian, when Trump told Corriere that he had been “begged” by Meloni for a photo together, adding that he only accepted because he “felt sorry for it”.
The prime minister had replied bluntly, in a video message, defining the reconstruction as “completely invented” and claiming that neither she nor Italy had ever been in the habit of “begging” anyone.
A few days later Trump returned to the attack, claiming that the leader of the Brothers of Italy had insisted “over and over again” for the photograph, and that her need for visibility was linked to an alleged decline in support at home, caused (according to Trump) by the Italian choice not to take sides in the military operation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The government’s reaction
Faced with yet another attack against Prime Minister Meloni, the government has chosen the low profile line. The Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto he declassified the episode by inviting us to look further: “People pass away, but relations between states must remain”, he declared, reiterating that the priority remains maintaining the bond with Washington.
The deputy prime minister and foreign minister are on the same wavelength Antonio Tajaniaccording to which Trump’s words “speak for themselves” and do not affect transatlantic relations which he defines as essential on a commercial, political and strategic level.
Conciliatory tones also from the owner of the Interior Ministry Matteo Piantedosiwho spoke of “unshakable” relationships despite the “fibrillations”.
The NATO summit in Ankara
The affair comes one step away from a crucial appointment for the Atlantic Alliance: from tomorrow, in fact, Ankara will host the NATO summit which will bring together the heads of state and government of the member countries, as well as guests such as the now inevitable Volodymyr Zelensky.
On the table are defense spending targets, the strengthening of the common military industry and support for Kiev, already delicate dossiers at a time when several European governments are struggling to reconcile the commitments made with their own budget coverage.
Trump arrives at the summit after having progressively alienated not only Meloni and Italy, but several other European chancelleries (London and Madrid, for example), repeatedly questioning the American commitment to the defense of the Old Continent and accusing the allies of poor financial contribution.
The new rift with Meloni comes a few hours after the opening of the meeting, in a context in which the cohesion of the Alliance appears more fragile than ever.
