Italian PM Meloni’s Visit Highlights Biden’s Weaknesses

It is difficult to find a more glaring contrast in leadership than Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Joe Biden – a fact that will be on full display as Meloni arrives at the White House on Thursday.

Meloni, a 46-year-old mother who became Italy’s first female prime minister last fall, rose to power on an unabashed conservative populist platform that shocked the European political establishment. An energetic leader whose fiery speeches often go viral on social media, she is the polar opposite of the 80-year-old Joe Biden in virtually every way.

For the media, Meloni’s election last year was a nightmare scenario. Ahead of her victory, The New York Times declared that her rise to power meant Italy had a “bleak” future. The Associated Press stoked fears about the “neo-fascist roots” of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy Party, while numerous other outlets made direct comparisons to Benito Mussolini (one common refrain from online critics was that she is “Mussolini in a skirt”).

But while the liberal press predicted the imminent collapse of Italy, with Meloni sure to be a Nero-esque figure, the opposite turned out to be the case.

According to Eurostat, Italy was the only country in the European Union that narrowed its debt-to-GDP ratio in the first quarter of 2023, delivering on Meloni’s promise to bring fiscal responsibility back to the country’s spending policies. ISTAT, the Italian government’s statistics agency, also reported that household purchasing power grew by 3.1 percent in that same time period, while income grew by 3.2 percent.

But as Meloni arrives in Washington the leader of a surging economy, Biden has struggled to generate any positive economic news – even with a mainstream media eager to sell his “Bidenomics” talking points. Most major investment firms are predicting that growth will continue to slow throughout the rest of the year, and families are still reeling from the hit that double-digit inflation took on their budgets last year. Just 37 percent of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing on the economy.

An even clearer contrast between Meloni and Biden exists when it comes to immigration. Throughout the first 28 months of Biden’s tenure, more than 6.5 million people have crossed into the United States illegally – more than the individual populations of 38 states. Biden has also stretched existing laws to allow more illegal aliens to remain in the country, incentivizing more crossings.

One Italian conservative pundit aptly captured the difference between Meloni and Biden on immigration by saying, “While Biden looked accountable for blowing the doors and fences up, Meloni bought a new watchdog.”

“Their approach to border security was like night and day,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Meloni has made stopping illegal immigration one of her chief concerns as part of her “Italy First” platform – and is even convincing other European leaders to follow her lead.

In June, for instance, the European Council signed on to an effort spearheaded by Meloni to work with Tunisia to stop illegal migration across the Mediterranean. Under the terms of the agreement, Tunisia will receive $1.12 billion to aid its economy in exchange for strengthening its own border patrol operations and implementing a naval blockade to stop human traffickers.

Meloni told the press that she was “very pleased” with the outcome of the deal, emphasizing that the agreement “could be a model, exactly where we want to go in the relationship between the European Union and the countries of North Africa.”

Earlier this week, Meloni’s government also promoted a new immigration plan of “growth and integral human development” during an international conference on migration and development in Rome, with 21 heads of state present from Europe and Africa, along with international refugee organizations. Contrary to the claims of the liberal media, Meloni is not opposed to all migration, but rather wants to crack down on illegal immigration.

Known as the “Mattei plan,” Meloni’s program is designed to end Europe’s predatory attitude toward Africa and help achieve long-term prosperity for both continents.

The Mattei plan is composed of four broad immigration policy elements: combatting illegal migration, reorganizing a legal path to citizenship, aiding genuine refugees, and supporting development in Africa. The program includes advanced education, tech sharing and investment in critical areas like water, energy, education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure to empower Tunisia’s economy and generate high-paying jobs. 

According to former German diplomat Helmut Goertz, the plan “is a bridge straight to lasting success.” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added that “Italy does not want the Mediterranean to be a cemetery, but a sea of peace, progress and commerce, which benefits everyone.”

The President of the E.U. Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who co-led the Conference with Meloni, stated that “Rome’s model for the future” should be replicated “by other countries in the region.” In a surprising turn of events following the media’s meltdown over Meloni’s election just a few months earlier, “Italy Convinces Europe,” “Pact with Ursula,” and “Italy Leader on Immigration in Europe” were headlines emblazoned in Italian newspapers the morning after leaders inked the deal.

President Biden, meanwhile, couldn’t even get Mexico’s President Obrador to attend his “Summit of the Americas” last year.

While working with the E.U. on immigration, Meloni has been unafraid to push back on so-called “green” policies that have hampered Italian industry for decades. Pursuing a compromise with E.U. climate policies she calls “green gradualism,” Meloni has won carve-outs for Italy on restrictions on combustion engines that will save Italian carmakers, and has also secured victories for fossil fuel companies in Italy.

As a result of her advocacy for Italian industry, Italy had a $8.3 billion non-energy trade surplus in March, the largest in two years.

Meloni’s success has brought with it a sudden burst of popularity. One report from earlier this year even found her to be Europe’s most respected leader.

Meanwhile, Biden’s approval rating continues to languish in the low 40s. The leader of the free world routinely embarrasses himself on the world stage, and even longtime allies in Europe now question U.S. leadership.

When Meloni arrives in Washington later this week, these contrasts will take center stage – and that’s bad news for Biden.

Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.