Why Meloni has hit back hard against Trump and his ‘made up’ photo claim
With her popularity flagging and a general election looming, the Italian PM sees a strategic advantage in the rupture
TL;DR
- Giorgia Meloni publicly refuted Donald Trump's claim that she "begged" him for a photo at the G7 meeting, calling his statement "made up".
- Trump's criticism, which linked Meloni's popularity issues to her stance on the Iran war, was seen as a personal and political attack.
- Meloni's strong response is interpreted as a strategic electioneering tactic to appeal to Italian voters, distance herself from Trump's unpopularity, and differentiate herself from other European right-wing leaders.
- The rift serves Meloni's ambition to strengthen her position within the European right and potentially align with leaders like Jordan Bardella of the French National Rally.
- Meloni is also pushing for electoral reforms that could benefit her governing coalition in the upcoming general election.