The US is right to call out European elites for democratic backsliding, Italy’s prime minister has said
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has thrown her weight behind US Vice President J.D. Vance and his scathing criticism of Washington’s European allies last month.
In a keynote address at the annual Munich Security Conference, Vance charged that the UK and several EU nations are failing to uphold free speech and democratic principles.
“I have to say I agree,” Meloni told Financial Times. “I’ve been saying this for years… Europe has a bit lost itself.” She added that the believed the vice president’s ire was directed at a “ruling class,” that imposes its ideology on ordinary citizens.
The article in the British newspaper on Friday underscored Meloni’s ideological parallels with Trump and her lack of alignment with other European leaders on crucial matters.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have marked out a position apart from US President Donald Trump, in particular on the Ukraine conflict, where the White House is pushing hard for a truce. The duo is spearheading efforts to bolster the Ukrainian military, and has proposed that a “reassurance force” be stationed in the country. Russia has warned against any NATO military presence in Ukraine, regardless of the form it takes.
Meloni said that in contrast to Macron and Starmer, she is not keen to position herself as a “protagonist” on the global stage. While she did not directly contest claims that Russia poses a threat warranting Europe-wide military expansion, she emphasized that Rome recognizes “threats can come from 360 degrees.” She was referring to illegal migration across the Mediterranean, which is a pressing issue in Italy.
”If you simply think that you can defend yourself, taking care of the eastern flank, and you don’t consider for example what happens in the southern flank, you will have a problem,” the prime minister explained.
Russian officials deny any aggressive intentions toward NATO, viewing the Ukraine conflict as a proxy war instigated by the bloc. Moscow has accused European leaders of undermining Trump’s mediation efforts and preferring the continuation of hostilities.
