Italy’s opposition parties are demanding that Premier Giorgia Meloni report urgently to parliament following US President Donald Trump’s tariff threat of 30% on EU goods.
At a weekend rally, Trump said his administration would introduce 30% tariffs on EU imports from August 1 unless the parties reached a new trade agreement. The announcement has sparked political backlash in Italy, where critics say Meloni has failed in her attempts to position herself as a transatlantic mediator.
Opposition leaders accused Meloni of being too accommodating towards Trump, highlighting her close ties with the Republican leader. Meloni, head of the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI), was the only European leader invited to Trump’s January inauguration.
Italy’s main opposition forces – the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), the 5-Star Movement (M5S), the Green-Left Alliance (AVS), and centrist parties Italia Viva (IV), Azione and More Europe, made the call for Meloni to address parliament.
“It’s been 72 hours since Trump’s announcement. The patriot should stop hiding and running away and come forward to report,” said PD lawmaker Chiara Braga. “We’re calling for a conference of whips to formalise the request.”
Meloni responded to Trump’s statement with a written comment on Sunday. “A trade war within the West would make us all weaker in the face of the global challenges we are addressing together,” she said.
She added that “Europe has the economic and financial strength to uphold its interests and reach a fair and common-sense agreement. Italy will do its part, as always.”
So far, Meloni has not confirmed whether she will appear before parliament regarding the US tariff threat.
