Meloni had hoped that a close relationship with Donald Trump would solidify her central position in European politics. The Italian prime minister was the only European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in January. She also met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, is close to Musk and said she looked forward to visiting the White House.

The idea is to use the visit to secure at least partial exemptions from U.S. tariffs on EU imports, according to officials familiar with her thinking. But officials said no specific date has yet been set.

Last Wednesday, the Italian automaker's $3.3 billion in U.S. sales were hit by the same 25% tariffs as the rest of the European Union. The United States is due to announce the next wave of tariffs this week, which could cause more harm to Italy's economy and the Italian Prime Minister, who is suddenly under pressure. An Italian government spokesman declined to comment.


Meloni attended the presidential inauguration ceremony in Washington on January 20.

After nearly two and a half years in power, her governing coalition is facing its most serious public feud. The EU's push for concrete commitments on defense spending and support for Ukraine has laid bare fiscal constraints that have dogged Italian leaders for years. And the alienation of the transatlantic relationship means she is likely to have to pick sides rather than build bridges.

She insists this is not the case. But if she sticks to her current course, she risks losing influence on the international stage, which has already put some pressure on her government.

"Her balancing act is starting to take a toll," said Beniamino Irdi, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former Italian government official. "Melonie is under pressure at home and abroad to try to bridge the transatlantic divide, which has proven to be too great, and she's faced backlash for doing so."

According to Italian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, Meloni and her team were very concerned about Trump's behavior. She has been careful not to publicly criticize the U.S. president, and any words she says on trade or promoting peace in Ukraine are carefully crafted so as not to anger the White House.

Still, many Italian automakers will be hit by U.S. tariffs, with supercar maker Ferrari saying it will raise U.S. prices for some models.


Newly produced Alfa Romeo cars parked at the Stellantis NV factory in Cassino, Italy.