Italy insists alliance with US holds firm at Rome Independence Day gala despite recent Meloni-Trump friction
Rome's political class, minus premier Meloni but with her sister in attendance, rallied at the US ambassador's residence to stress unbroken transatlantic ties following a public rift with Donald Trump.
A party with political weight
Villa Taverna, the US ambassador's residence in Rome's Parioli district, hosted its traditional Independence Day reception on July 2 under an unusually intense spotlight. The event fell just weeks after the centre-right government had instructed members to boycott the celebrations, a reaction to what one article called the 'slap' delivered by President Trump at the G7 and his subsequent personal attacks on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni later reversed course, ordering her ministers to attend, and she herself stayed away only because of a pre-existing commitment in Padua. Her sister Arianna Meloni was present 'in representation', as Ambassador Tilman Fertitta emphasised.
Who showed up and who stayed away
Half of the cabinet made an appearance: Vice-Premiers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, and several others. The president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, acted as the informal master of ceremonies. Opposition leaders were absent: Elly Schlein (PD), Giuseppe Conte (M5S) and the left-wing AvS leaders all sent delegations instead. Francesco Boccia, the PD Senate whip, led the Democratic Party contingent, with aides explaining they would not confuse criticism of Trump with hostility toward the United States.
Reassurances and bridge-building
Foreign Minister Tajani called the friendship 'stronger than any controversy, beyond personal relations and more or less dialectical phrases'. Salvini, a long-time Trump admirer, framed his presence as 'a choice of camp' and joked he would be cheering for Washington in a hypothetical football match. Ambassador Fertitta told reporters, 'Relations are among the best I have ever seen since I have been here. Disagreements between leaders happen from time to time.'No bridge has ever been torn down. We still have to build the one to Sicily, but the political bridge with the United States Italy will keep alive forever.
Defence spending enters the conversation
Beneath the bonhomie of hamburgers, hot dogs and standing drinks, the most concrete issue discussed was Italy's defence spending ahead of the NATO summit in Turkey. Government sources disclosed that Rome will present a commitment of 2.8% of GDP to defence, a jump of 0.7 percentage points from last year. Meloni's aides stressed that a large share would be earmarked for internal security, a message aimed at the anti-militarist fringes of the governing majority as much as at Washington.
- 2025
- 2.1 %
- 2026
- 2.8 %
The opposition's balancing act
The centre-left coalition tried to have it both ways: its leaders kept their distance to signal unease with the Trump administration, but they sent party heavyweights to avoid the impression of a rupture with America. 'You cannot sever ties with the United States if you are running for government,' explained a Democratic Party spokesman. This calibrated approach reflected the electoral calculus ahead of Italy's 2027 general election, where international credibility will matter.
