Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly broke with former U.S. President Donald Trump after his attacks on Pope Leo XIV and a viral image that depicted Trump as an AI-generated Jesus. The pope had criticized the U.S.-Israeli approach to the conflict with Iran and urged leaders not to pursue war; Trump dismissed the pontiff as “weak.” Meloni swiftly defended the pope, calling Trump’s remarks “unacceptable” and insisting it is appropriate for the head of the Catholic Church to call for peace.
Trump responded angrily, calling Meloni “unacceptable” and saying she was “no longer the same person.” Losing Trump’s favor risks reducing Meloni’s influence in Washington, but analysts say she likely weighed that against mounting domestic pressures and concluded distancing herself was politically safer at home.
Public opinion in Italy has been hostile to Trump: a March YouGov poll found 80% of Italians viewed him unfavorably. Concern about the Iran war has also translated into economic anxiety. An SWG poll found nine in 10 Italians worried about the war’s impact on energy prices and six in 10 opposed a broader war with Iran. Before the conflict, Italy imported roughly 10% of its gas from Qatar and was Europe’s largest importer of Qatari energy. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian strikes on Gulf facilities, including attacks on Qatar’s largest gas refinery, have pushed Italy to seek alternative supplies and contributed to rising electricity and fuel costs.
Rising energy prices carry political consequences. Leo Goretti of the Istituto Affari Internazionali warns that higher diesel and fuel costs hit social groups that are often conservative and likely to support Meloni. Roberto D’Alimonte, emeritus professor of political science at the University of Florence, notes Italians frequently associate higher bills and pump prices with Trump, making Meloni’s public defense of the pope a shrewd move ahead of national elections.
Meloni’s distancing from Trump had been developing prior to this episode. Their relationship cooled after she criticized Trump’s January suggestion about annexing Greenland. Her strong initial backing of Israel during the Gaza war — amid heavy Palestinian casualties and international concern about humanitarian violations — also eroded her domestic standing. That backlash likely contributed to a poor showing in a March judicial referendum, where 54% voted no in a vote widely interpreted as a judgment on her government.
To repair her image, Meloni has taken several steps: suspending a defense agreement with Israel and publicly opposing Trump’s attacks on the pope are viewed as efforts to shore up support at home. Julien Hoez, an editor and analyst, calls her pragmatic: with unpopular U.S. ties, rising energy costs, a referendum setback and slow GDP growth, there are clear reasons to recalibrate. Defending the pope, who lives in Italy and remains broadly popular, offered a politically safe opening.
Internationally, recent events have reduced the pool of pro-sovereigntist allies in Europe. Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat in Hungary, despite outreach to Trump, has left fewer like-minded leaders. D’Alimonte suggests Meloni may now seek closer ties with mainstream center-right figures such as Germany’s Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron rather than cozying up to the far right. Leo Goretti adds that Meloni’s hoped-for role as a mediator between the EU and Trump delivered little benefit to Italy, so aligning with established center-right governments could be more advantageous.
Whether driven by principle, domestic politics, or strategic realignment, Meloni’s break with Trump signals a notable shift. As D’Alimonte put it, “Meloni is no longer Trump’s darling.”