Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is emerging as the main conduit between Europe and United States President Donald Trump’s orbit, far eclipsing Hungary’s Viktor Orban in influence and appeal. The great advantage is that Meloni not only understands the threat Russia poses to global stability and Europe’s security, but she also grasps the performance-driven nature of Trumpian diplomacy.
Following Meloni’s recent charm offensive in the United States, she earned high praise from Trump. “Everyone loves and respects her, and I can’t say that about many people,” said Trump. “I would say that she has taken Europe by storm.” Trump added that Italy could be the top European ally, “Only if the prime minister remains the prime minister can it be our best ally. She’s doing a great job. She’s a fantastic person and doing a great job and our relationship is great.”
In contrast, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban once hoped that Donald Trump’s return to the White House would strengthen Europe’s far-right, but that vision is faltering. Hungary’s economy is weakening under the weight of US tariffs, and political opposition to Orban is rising for the first time in over a decade. Trump’s trade war has forced Europe to unify and rearm, leaving Orban isolated as the EU’s most vocal Trump supporter.
Péter Magyar is emerging as the strongest challenger Viktor Orbán has faced in 15 years. His TISZA party has surged to a 14-point lead over Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party, according to the 21 Research Center, placing TISZA within striking distance of a two-thirds parliamentary majority ahead of Hungary’s next election in April 2026. While momentum is on Magyar’s side, much work remains to turn polling strength into an electoral victory.
Yet Meloni’s appeal is not purely ideological.”I wouldn’t say that Meloni has more influence over Trump in a substantive sense. Instead, she’s pursuing a diplomatic style that captures Trump’s attention and aligns with his preference for personal rapport over policy alignment,” said Treston Wheat, chief geopolitical officer at risk consultancy Insight Forward and adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
“Meloni has been savvy in using public praise, symbolic gestures, and political flattery to create the impression of alignment, which is often more effective with Trump than ideological closeness alone,” Wheat continued. “She understands the theater of diplomacy, and she’s playing it well.”
While Orban has long positioned himself as Europe’s leading nationalist conservative voice, his stock is falling in Washington. His open admiration for Vladimir Putin and his role obstructing EU consensus on Ukraine are increasingly viewed as liabilities rather than strengths.
“I don’t believe Orban is a big star in Washington. The European nationalist who is Trump’s European favorite is Meloni. Most countries view Orban as a joke,” said Taras Kuzio, a political science professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Viktor Orban’s team is feeding Kremlin-aligned disinformation to Donald Trump, blaming NATO expansion for Russia’s invasion. He urged Trump to speak directly with him, not those “who walk around the table,” after Trump claimed Ukraine provoked the war and dismissed Zelensky as “not very important” to peace talks, despite Zelensky’s strong approval ratings at home.
Compounding Orbán’s isolation, Hungary’s deepening ties with China will also likely undercut Orbán’s standing. Budapest has become a hub for Chinese influence in Europe, hosting joint technology ventures and even allowing Chinese police patrols on Hungarian streets. Facing economic troubles and growing political opposition at home, Orban is betting heavily on Chinese investment to fuel his reelection campaign.
Despite rising tensions over China, at a recent private forum in Budapest, Donald Trump Jr. praised the personal relationship between Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump as a foundation for deeper economic ties while hailing Hungary’s “rational, people-centered policies” compared to Western Europe.
In contrast, Meloni has kept her distance from Beijing, aware that Trump’s foreign policy instincts remain focused on confronting China. She previously formally withdrew Italy from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, signaling a clear shift away from Chinese influence.
The top US envoy to Hungary recently warned Budapest about the risks of deepening ties with China, signaling a potential strain in Viktor Orban’s otherwise close relationship with Donald Trump. Despite Orban’s efforts to attract significant Chinese investments, capturing 44% of China’s European investment, Trump’s hardline stance against China could create friction. Meanwhile, Hungary’s economy minister said the country won’t scale back ties with China, rejecting US pressure to distance itself from Beijing.
“By contrast, while Viktor Orbán has long positioned himself as a leading voice of “nationalist conservatism” in Europe, his increasingly close ties with China, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and joint education or tech ventures, are likely to become a liability due to Trump’s renewed focus on U.S.-China competition,” Wheat explained. “Trump’s view of China is transactional and strategic, and while he has tolerated authoritarian leaders, he’s also quick to call out trade or tech alignments that he sees as threats to American power.”
Orban’s alignment with Russia and China and his estrangement from the rest of the EU have turned him into a spoiler rather than a serious strategic player. Meanwhile, his allies in Moscow have vowed to eradicate the “revival of European Nazism” as Europe prepares to rearm itself against a bloodthirsty imperial Russia.
Though ideologically aligned with many nationalist-conservative positions, Meloni has proved more pragmatic. She has maintained strong ties with NATO and taken a firmer stance against Moscow, giving her credibility in both Washington and Brussels.
At a time when Europe’s security hangs in the balance, Meloni’s leadership provides an important counterweight. It offers the Trump administration a clear-eyed perspective on the threat posed by Russian aggression, in stark contrast to the influence Viktor Orbán might have wielded as a second-rate Rasputin.
About the Author: David Kirichenko
David Kirichenko is a freelance journalist and an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank. He can be found on X @DVKirichenko.
Jim
May 2, 2025 at 1:13 pm
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is a center/right politician.
To understand her politics, one has to know the history of Italian politics in general. Italy, after WWII, because of Mussolini and the results of the war, rejected “Rightism” and had several decades of revolving Prime Ministers, as successive Socialist governments would collapse, but every time, the electorate would vote for another Socialist majority in the parliament, so another Socialist would be installed as Prime Minister, and would soon collapse again… and, again, and again… for decades.
And, then, finally, came along Silvio Berlusconi who rose from a crooner on cruise ships to being a media tycoon and colorful personality.
Through his media empire he fashioned himself into a political figure and leader on the right. Due to the succession of failed Socialist governments, Berlusconi put together a center\right coalition which finally pushed over the top and secured a majority in the parliament and he became the first center\right Prime Minister since WWII.
But he was colorful, terms such “bunga bunga” were ascribed to him, and “personal peccadillo” was a watch word. Berlusconi fell from power, but bounced back into power, yet retained his political liabilities.
Berlusconi never quite made center\right politics ‘respectable’ in Italy… he was also prosecuted several times for corruption… which left a cloud hanging over center\right politics in general.
Meloni’s top goal was to make center\right politics in Italy respectable and durable… always a player if not always in power.
I would say if you look at Meloni’s politics and style she has done exactly what she set out to do:
Make center\right politics in Italy “Great Again!” or more accurately, “Respectable Again!”
No wonder Trump likes Meloni (and she is an attractive politician). Trump and Meloni are in the same business in their respective countries.