Elon Musk and Giorgia Meloni: A Burgeoning Friendship the World Should Keep an Eye On

By U In Hurricane [EN]

The friendship between Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and Elon Musk is the talk of Italy, and increasingly so since the latter secured a key role in the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump.

The two first expressed their mutual admiration in an official picture during Musk’s visit to the Italian prime minister’s official residence, Palazzo Chigi, in June 2023. Soon after Trump’s victory, Meloni said on X that Musk had been in touch and that she sees the Trump presidency as a “valuable asset for both the United States and Italy”. Most recently, Meloni, Trump and Musk were pictured together at an event in Paris to mark the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral following the fire there five years ago.

Interestingly, one of the shared stances between Musk and Meloni is their evident frustration with what they perceive as woke conformism. Potential business deals also serve as a significant unifying factor. It seems increasingly likely that Musk’s Starlink will expand substantially into Italy.

For Meloni, closeness to Musk is closeness to Trump. But there are risks ahead. Musk has a strong preference for deregulation and has been hired to cut costs in Trump’s government. These views are poorly aligned with the principles of Meloni’s social nationalist party.

Nationalists often end up having strained relationships once the realities of office in a globalised world kick in – and Meloni and Musk may follow a familiar pattern from here on. They might share mutual admiration, but their domestic priorities are often too dominant to focus on international partnerships.

Original source: https://t.me/uinhurricane/9857