ANTIBES, France: Italy´s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, fresh from a spat with US leader Donald Trump, on Thursday met French President Emmanuel Macron to build on a nascent rapprochement and tighten ties.
One of Europe´s most prominent right-wing leaders arrived in the resort of Antibes on the French Riviera for her first bilateral summit with Macron.
The talks marked the first Franco Italian summit since a treaty on a strategic alliance came into force in 2021, elevating relations to a level comparable to that between France and Germany.
Smiling broadly, the two leaders exchanged kisses and briefly held hands as the French host welcomed Meloni outside the Picasso Museum in Antibes.
“Come, come,” Macron called out as he took Meloni on a private tour of the museum.
The French presidency said the summit would be an opportunity to deepen cooperation in strategic sectors such as defence, nuclear energy, and space.
“We need each other,” the Elysee said ahead of the talks at the Villa Eilenroc, a dazzling 19th-century residence overlooking the Mediterranean. Relations have often been strained between Macron, a pro European centrist, and Meloni, who leads a coalition of right and far?right parties.
But while the leaders of the European Union´s second and third?largest economies are far from natural allies, they have worked to ease tensions, notably during a lengthy one on one meeting in Rome in June last year.
In April, as leaders gathered in Paris for a summit on securing the Strait of Hormuz, Meloni arrived at the Elysee in a red Alfa Romeo. Macron greeted the Italian leader with an enthusiastic double kiss that appeared to catch her off guard.
A video that went viral showed Meloni visibly surprised before both laughed it off.
Marc Lazar, an Italy specialist at Sciences Po in Paris, said Meloni and Macron would try to build on a tentative rapprochement, despite disagreements.
Meloni had long sought to position herself as a bridge between Europe and Trump.
But following a G7 summit in France, Meloni has distanced herself from the US leader over what she called his “constant, unprovoked attacks”.
