Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rejected the idea of a "submissive Italy" and stressed the need for her country to be "seated at the table of those who set the direction," according to an interview with The New York Times published Friday.
"I don't like the idea of a submissive Italy, an Italy that sees itself as lesser than others," Meloni told the newspaper, emphasizing her goal of achieving "the biggest revolution that can happen in this nation — a revolution of pride."
Her remarks came during a discussion of her relationship with US President Donald Trump, whose ties with European leaders have become strained over several issues, primarily Greenland and the bloc's role within NATO.
Meloni and Trump have generally maintained close relations, but tensions have emerged after Trump criticized Pope Leo and also reportedly suggested that Meloni had "begged" him for a photograph together at the Group of Seven summit in France.
"It's evident that with Donald Trump, I believed things would be easier," Meloni said, citing their "convergence" on several issues, including immigration.
"Things have turned out otherwise," she added.
Meloni said she and Trump had not spoken in several weeks after she became one of the first European leaders to publicly respond to him. She reportedly considered Trump's criticism of the pope a red line.
"I continue to believe that the unity of the West is something very important. I don't decide Italian strategy on the basis of my personal relations," Meloni further said.
Asked whether she and Trump would speak after the summer break, Meloni replied: "Well, we will see."
Meloni also called for a tough and practical path to greater global respect for Italy.
She said Italy needed to stop acting as "the spare wheel to France and Germany" and instead be "seated at the table of those who set the direction."
She also stressed the importance of stability, describing it as "not a point of arrival but a point of departure."
"I think what got me here (her office at Palazzo Chigi) was the courage to stand on the uncomfortable side of history," Meloni said.
"To opt to be against the current," she added.
