EU leaders meet with new Italian PM Giorgia Meloni

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet with the President of the European Commission Ursula von dear Leyen in Brussels today.

This will be Meloni’s first official meeting with the EU chief since her victory in the Italian general elections held last month. Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy, is renowned for espousing far-right politics and euro-skepticism. In today’s meeting, the sides will discuss an array of topics ranging from the current war in Ukraine to, most importantly, the future outlook of Rome-Brussels relations.

While Brothers of Italy Party has outright called for Italy to withdraw from the EU in the past it is highly unlikely Meloni will do so in the short-to medium-term. Instead, Meloni’s administration is likely to fully commit to the EU, especially in its efforts concerning support towards Ukraine drawing very minimal backlash from her constituents. This is largely because Rome is susceptible to EU grants and loans for future development, which are important as the country struggles with a high inflation rate and soaring energy prices. With that being said, Meloni will take the initiative to express Italy’s disdain with several EU policies, such as migration and monetary policy.