Opposition Accuse Meloni of Evading Tariff Debate

Rome: Italy’s main opposition parties on Tuesday called on Premier Giorgia Meloni to urgently report to parliament after US President Donald Trump said at the weekend that his administration would impose 30% tariffs on EU goods on August 1 unless a trade deal is agreed before then. Opposition politicians accuse Meloni of being too compliant with Trump and say the 30%-tariffs threat shows her efforts to act as a ‘bridge’ between Europe and the US have failed.

According to Ansa News Agency, Meloni, the leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, has friendly relations with Trump and she was the only European leader invited to his inauguration in January. The request for Meloni to report to parliament was made by the two biggest opposition groups, the centre-left Democratic Party and the 5-Star Movement (M5S), along with the Green-Left Alliance (AVS), and the centrist IV, Azione, and More Europe parties.

“It’s been 72 hours since Trump’s announcement. The patriot should stop hiding and running away and come forward to report (to parliament),” said PD lawmaker Chiara Braga. “We’re calling for a conference of whips to formalize the request.”

Meloni reacted to Trump’s announcement with a statement on Sunday in which she said “a trade war within the West would make us all weaker in the face of the global challenges we are addressing together. Europe has the economic and financial strength to uphold its interests and reach a fair and common-sense agreement,” she said. “Italy will do its part, as always.”