Rome, 23 February 2025 — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered a sharp critique of liberal elites at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, DC, on Saturday, accusing the Left of hypocrisy and reacting with “hysteria” to the rise of right-wing leaders.
Speaking via video link, she praised former US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance while denouncing what she called a global leftist network.
“When Bill Clinton and Tony Blair created the global leftist liberal network in the ’90s, they were called statesmen,” Meloni said. “Today, when Trump, Meloni, (Javier) Milei, or maybe (Narendra) Modi talk, they are called a threat to democracy. This is the Left’s double standard, but we are used to it. And the good news is people no longer believe in their lies.”
Meloni claimed that liberals were increasingly unsettled by the resurgence of conservative leaders worldwide, particularly following Trump’s return to power. “The Left is nervous, and with Trump’s victory, their irritation has turned into hysteria. Not only because conservatives are winning, but because conservatives are now collaborating globally,” she asserted.
As the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, Meloni was the only European Union head of government to attend Trump’s inauguration in January. Her CPAC speech, however, sparked backlash in Italy, with opposition leaders calling on her to withdraw from the event. The controversy intensified after Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon appeared to perform a Nazi salute at the conference, prompting Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally (RN), to withdraw from CPAC in protest.
Elly Schlein, leader of Italy’s center-left Democratic Party, called for Meloni to distance herself from the gathering. “She should have the decency to disassociate herself from this neo-fascist event,” Schlein said. “She has not said a word for days about Trump’s insults and frontal attacks on Ukraine and the European Union. She is unable to defend Italian and European interests because she does not want to displease the new American administration.”
Addressing concerns over US-Europe relations, Meloni maintained that transatlantic ties would remain strong under Trump. “The United States and Europe will remain close under Trump,” she insisted.
Her remarks come amid growing tensions in Europe over Trump’s diplomatic stance toward Russia and warnings of a potential shift in US policy, particularly regarding NATO.
