Elon Musk wades into Italian politics, attacking judges and immigration
The incident has unsettled Meloni, a close friend of the billionaire, who has chosen to remain silent. Ultimately, it was the president of the Italy who stepped forward to defend the country’s sovereignty
Giorgia Meloni has a special friendship with Elon Musk. When the Italian prime minister publicly announced her separation in October 2023, Musk notably responded with a “like” on social media. Just a month earlier, Musk had presented Meloni with the Global Citizen 2024 award at an upscale gala in New York, praising her as a person “even more beautiful inside than outside.” A photo of them dining together, where they appeared to be enjoying each other’s company, further fueled speculation of a romance. Indeed, Musk was forced to deny the allegations on his social network, X: “I was there with my Mom. There is no romantic relationship whatsoever with PM Meloni.”
However, Musk’s recent and abrupt criticism of Italian judges for halting the Italian government’s plan to deport migrants to Albania has placed Meloni in an awkward position. The prime minister has remained conspicuously silent, leaving it to President Sergio Mattarella to respond firmly to Musk’s remarks.
At midday on Wednesday, Mattarella issued a clear message: “Italy is a great democratic country, and I must reiterate, using the same words from October 7, 2022, that it knows how to take care of itself. Everyone, particularly those who, as has been announced, are about to take on an important role in government in a friendly and allied country, must respect sovereignty and cannot take upon themselves the task of giving it instructions.”
The reference to October 7, 2022, was deliberate. That was when Mattarella responded to French Minister for European Affairs, Laurence Boone, who said she would be monitoring how rights are respected in Italy following Meloni’s win at the election. It served as a pointed reminder to Meloni that Musk’s remarks were as intolerable as Boone’s, and to remind the prime minister that he had defended her once before.
At midday on Tuesday, Elon Musk made a disparaging comment on about Italian judges after the Rome court, for the second time, blocked the detention of migrants in an Albanian internment camp. “These judges need to go,” he posted on X. After the initial judicial setback to deportations last month, Musk had already dismissed the judges as “fools.”
In September, when prosecutors sought a six-year prison sentence for Italian Vice President Matteo Salvini for preventing migrants from disembarking from the Spanish ship Open Arms in 2019, Musk tweeted: “That mad prosecutor should be the one who goes to prison for six years.”
While his earlier remarks drew criticism, his recent direct attack on the judiciary, a pillar of state power, has escalated the situation.
Sources from the Italian presidency attempted to downplay Musk’s comments, arguing that he was a private citizen entitled to express his opinions. Yet, circumstances have shifted significantly: on Wednesday, Trump appointed Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency in his new administration. Despite this, Meloni maintained her silence.
Throughout Tuesday, the opposition and judiciary expressed outrage over what they perceived as an unacceptable interference into Italian sovereignty, and demanded a response from the government. Their calls were met with silence: what’s more, members of the government also attacked the judiciary.
Elly Schlein, leader of Italy’s Democratic Party (PD), scorned the government: “It is shameful that these domestic sovereignists are letting an American billionaire to dictate policy. They should defend the judges — this too is part of national sovereignty.”
Giuseppe Santalucia, president of Italy’s National Association of the Judiciary, echoed this sentiment: “An American magnate so influential in the new U.S. Administration speaks on the internal matters of the Italian sovereign state and interferes in the affairs of Italy […] without anyone in the government considering responding to him.”
By midday on Wednesday, President Sergio Mattarella stepped in. He pointed to Musk’s new political role, countering Meloni’s team’s portrayal of him as a mere private citizen, to underscore the seriousness of the situation. It then took Meloni more than three hours to issue a brief response: “We always listen with great respect to the words of the President of the Republic.”
However, by then, Musk had exacerbated the situation with another tweet questioning Italy’s rule of law and asking provocatively: “Do the people of Italy live in a democracy or does an unelected autocracy make the decisions?”
Trump and Salvini
The incident highlights Meloni’s ongoing challenges in clarifying her stance when faced with the outbursts of her less palatable allies, much like her struggles in Europe with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and other far-right leaders. This, however, is the first time she has had to navigate the dynamics with Trump’s inner circle following his electoral win.
Notably, Trump’s closest ally within the Italian government is not Meloni but her coalition partner, Matteo Salvini. The League leader, already donning a signature red tie reminiscent of Trump’s, was one of the first to celebrate Trump’s victory, as if he had won the lottery. On the other hand, Musk serves as Meloni’s conduit to Trump’s circle, an essential connection she is keen to maintain, especially after building rapport with Joe Biden and avoiding directly supporting Trump during the campaign. It appears clear that Meloni is determined not to jeopardize this strategic connection.
Following the U.S. election, Meloni was quick to announce on social media that she had already spoken on the phone “with my friend Elon Musk,” expressing confidence that “his commitment and vision can be an important asset for the United States and Italy, in a spirit of collaboration.”
Musk’s close associate in Italy, Andrea Stroppa, reinforced this sentiment: “Italy can and must build a leading role in the sectors of the future. Becoming the preferred European partner must be the goal.” Italy, as Europe’s most prominent far-right government, openly aspires to be Trump’s favored interlocutor within the EU.
Stroppa’s message is significant beyond politics. Discussions between Musk and Italy have centered around business ventures, including the deployment of the Starlink satellite network to provide internet service to poorly connected areas, as well as usage by ministries, the military, and diplomatic services. This deal, reportedly worth €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion), has garnered attention in the Italian media.
Talks have also extended to Tesla’s potential production of electric trucks and vans in Italy. However, progress was halted when a corruption probe led to the arrest of the CEO of Sogei, a company under the Ministry of Economy, due to suspicious contracts and activities. Among those under investigation is Andrea Stroppa himself. This development has fueled Musk’s unfavorable opinion of Italian judges.
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