Italy: In Rome, Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni hold three-hour talks to ease tensions

Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron demonstrated their "shared commitment" and "strong convergence" on Tuesday during a long one-on-one meeting in Rome to diffuse the tensions of recent weeks, which have crystallized since Donald Trump 's return to the White House.

Each whispers in the American president's ear: the Frenchman on Ukraine, the Italian on tariffs. But the outcome of their respective mediation efforts remains uncertain, and dialogue between the leaders of France and Italy, often rivals, is complicated. Tuesday evening's meeting in the Italian capital, which the French president claims to have initiated, therefore had all the hallmarks of an attempt at reconciliation.

A France-Italy summit planned in France for early 2026

Emmanuel Macron received a warm welcome from the Italian Prime Minister. After a kiss and big smiles, they entered the Palazzo Chigi, seat of the Prime Minister's office, for a three-hour tête-à-tête, followed by dinner.

"Italy and France, committed to their role as founding states of European integration, intend to strengthen their shared commitment to a more sovereign, stronger, and more prosperous Europe, above all for peace," the two neighboring countries stated in a joint statement following the talks. "The meeting highlighted strong convergences on the European competitiveness agenda," they added, announcing a bilateral summit "in France in early 2026."

Before the trip, the French presidency said it wanted to verify that "we are indeed capable of moving forward together on the essentials" with Italy. On Friday, Giorgia Meloni acknowledged "differences" while downplaying them and refuting any "personal problems" with Emmanuel Macron. "There's a lot of hype about this," she quipped.

Two conflicting visions of Europe

Since 2022, the year of the re-election of Emmanuel Macron, the pro-European progressive, and the electoral victory of the nationalist Giorgia Meloni at the head of a coalition between the right and the far right, the relationship has not been simple.

But common interests, starting with unconditional support for Ukraine, have long made it possible to overcome two divergent visions of Europe, especially since the Italian Prime Minister, a post-fascist, has taken the gamble of having influence in Brussels rather than sulking at European institutions.

Donald Trump's return to the White House in January disrupted these balances. "There is an undeniable rivalry," notes Marc Lazar, a professor at Sciences Po in Paris. The two leaders have adopted "different strategies" toward the American president: "mediation and compromise" for the Italian, "firmness without breaking" for the French, this specialist in transalpine relations told AFP.

According to him, the Italian government "thinks that because it is ideologically close to the American administration," "it will be able to force it to back down on trade tariffs."

Different preferential files

However, on the French side, while they say they "respect" that everyone can "maintain the best possible relationship with President Trump," they insist that trade negotiations are the responsibility of the European Commission - as if to deny Giorgia Meloni a real role as mediator.

Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand, is positioning himself as a European leader on the Ukrainian issue, speaking to Donald Trump very regularly, invoking the relationship established during the Republican billionaire's first term.

And his desire to build a "coalition of the willing" ready to provide "security guarantees" to Ukraine, or even to deploy troops there as part of a future peace agreement with Russia, has disrupted the understanding that had previously existed between Rome and Paris on this issue.

In recent weeks, the French president's trip to kyiv with the British, German and Polish leaders - but without Giorgia Meloni - and then the recurrence of this format on the sidelines of a European summit in Albania, brought the disputes to the forefront.

Support for Ukraine expressed

"Between Europeans, the question of formats must be managed according to the principle of the best impact that can be achieved under the circumstances," the Elysée Palace dismissed. On the substance, France noted that Italy, like others, "has always insisted" on "American participation in this system."

The joint statement on this issue limits itself to reaffirming that "the continued unwavering support of France and Italy for Ukraine is even more necessary to achieve a just and lasting settlement."

The two countries also agree to "coordinate their efforts in European mobilization and action," as if seeking complementarity in their relationship with the Trump administration.