Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, 48, is facing a fierce storm of criticism after a dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Ukraine summit in Washington. With her microphone unintentionally left on, she confessed that she did not want to speak with Italian journalists.
The controversy was triggered by two short excerpts of recorded conversations, which the newspaper La Stampa published on its website following the conclusion of the meeting. In one clip, Finnish President Alexander Stubb expressed surprise that Trump had allowed journalists to attend the Ukraine summit. Meloni is then heard saying: “I never want to speak to my press.”
In another clip, the U.S. president asked if anyone wanted to allow questions from the media. Meloni refused, replying: “There are too many of us, it would take too much time.” Political and media backlash in Italy Reactions from Italian politics and media were immediate. “It is well known that the Italian prime minister does not appreciate journalists and their questions. For years, she has replaced press conferences with long online monologues, without counter-questions and without contradiction.
This is propaganda, not information,” complained Alessandra Costante, president of the Journalists’ Association. She added that the lack of respect for the press was clearly visible during the summit with Trump. “Meloni is running away from journalists, but in a democracy the press plays a central role,” warned Angelo Bonelli, leader of the opposition left-wing party Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra (AVS).
The Democratic Party (Partito Democratico/PD) declared: “For Meloni, the press must be avoided.” Enrico Borghi of Italia Viva spoke of “authoritarian behavior.” Carlo Calenda, leader of the opposition party Azione, denounced what he called Meloni’s “shameful appearance.”
Backing from her own party The Italian head of government, however, was defended by her own parliamentary ranks. According to her party, the right-wing conservative Fratelli d’Italia (FdI), the backlash is nothing more than “envy” behind the criticism.
Augusta Montaruli, vice president of the parliamentary group, said: “While the international press praises Italy for its economic and political stability, the opposition is drowning in smear campaigns because it cannot take pride in Italy’s successes.”
