Italy's Prime Minister has urged the EU to concentrate on its own affairs following the victory of Donald Trump.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has emphasized the importance of the EU focusing on its own house in order, citing tariffs, competitiveness, and defence as the most pressing issues the bloc faces as it grapples with Donald Trump's election win. 

The EU leaders are meeting in Budapest amid uncertainty in a continent struggling to find unity, with two of its biggest powers, Germany and France, politically weakened. 

Meloni is seen as a potentially strong partner for Trump due to her conservative credentials and the stability of the right-wing coalition she led in Italy since 2022. She emphasized the need for Europe to find a balance in terms of competitiveness and tariffs. 

Meloni also considered Tesla CEO and Trump-backer Elon Musk a person with "added value" and a good interlocutor. The EU summit will include a debate on competitiveness and a presentation on the issue by former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi. 

The EU must decide whether it truly wants to give member states the tools to meet the objectives. Italian ministers called on the EU to support members in their effort to meet a NATO spending target of 2% of GDP in defence.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has emphasized the need for the European Union to concentrate on its own priorities and strengthen its cohesion in response to international political shifts, including Donald Trump’s potential return to power. Meloni's comments likely stem from a view that Europe should bolster its autonomy and resilience, focusing on internal challenges like economic stability, energy independence, and defense.

Meloni has been a proponent of a stronger, more united Europe that can assert itself on the global stage without over-reliance on other powers, including the U.S. This approach reflects broader concerns within the EU about maintaining stability and unity in light of political volatility in the U.S. and other regions.