Foreign Affairs
Meloni and Macron: Testing the Waters of a European Understanding
By Ilaria Donatio
Smiles, cheek kisses, and four intense hours of talks: on Tuesday, June 3rd, Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron met at Palazzo Chigi to turn the page. No more long-distance skirmishes or parallel diplomacies, but a renewed understanding—at least in tone—that aims to build a partnership between equals, capable of influencing the EU’s upcoming strategic decisions.
From common defence to support for Ukraine, the two leaders reaffirmed a shared commitment to a “more sovereign and stronger” Europe. The goal is a step change—both in investment and production—to relaunch the continent’s defence industry and make the Union less dependent on external actors.
There was also strong convergence on economic issues: regulatory simplification, attracting public and private capital, and boosting the competitiveness of the automotive and steel industries. More innovative dossiers—such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and space—were also on the table, under the banner of technological neutrality.
On migration, Italy and France expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation for a fairer and more coordinated approach at the European level. As for relations with the United States, both leaders called for a revival of the transatlantic pact, but on more balanced terms, with a European voice that is less subordinate.
The next bilateral summit will be held in France at the beginning of 2026 and will serve to update the joint programme of the Quirinal Treaty, which entered into force in 2023. In the meantime, between diplomatic niceties and real convergences, the Meloni-Macron axis is taking shape: more than an alliance, a two-speed gamble on European leadership.