ATHENS

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday that she sympathizes with US Vice President JD Vance’s criticism of Europe regarding free speech and democracy.

“Europe has lost itself a bit,” she said in an interview with the Financial Times.

According to the Italian premier, Vance’s remarks were aimed not at European citizens, but at its political class and the belief that “instead of reading reality and finding ways to give answers to people, you can impose your ideology on people.”

At last month’s Munich Security Conference, Vance said Europe’s greatest threat is not Russia but internal decay – accusing the EU of suppressing free speech and scolding it for refusing to engage with far-right parties.

Meloni dismissed the notion that Italy must choose between the US and Europe as “childish,” adding: “Our relationship with the US is the most important relationship we have.”

“I’m conservative. Trump is a Republican leader. Surely I’m nearer to him than to many others, but I understand a leader that defends his national interests. I defend mine,” she said.

Meloni, Italy’s first female premier, has led the populist right Brothers of Italy party since 2014. While known for hardline positions on immigration and family issues, she has also gained credibility among EU leaders for her pragmatic foreign and economic policies.

On US-EU trade tensions

On the possible trade war between the US and the EU, she argued that the bloc should stay calm and work to find a resolution through negotiations.

She said that while overall tariff levels are roughly balanced, specific duties on certain goods are causing friction.

“There are big differences on the single goods. That’s what we have to work on to find a good, common solution,” she said.

Meloni also said she hoped Trump’s “confrontational” approach to Europe would prompt the EU to take more responsibility for its own defense.

A vocal supporter of Ukraine and NATO, Meloni praised Trump’s efforts to negotiate a ceasefire but emphasized the need for robust security guarantees to prevent a new war from Russia.

She expressed skepticism about the French and British proposal for a European force in Ukraine.

Instead, she proposes extending NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause to Ukraine without actually admitting it into the alliance, saying it would be “easier and more effective.”