ROME - Despite efforts to remain impartial, pundits have suggested Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in the US election over former President Donald Trump, purely to get one over Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. 

 However, in the past she has been very transparent with her praise of Mr Trump. In 2020 after a meeting with the former president, Meloni praised the billionaire business mogul for his “defence of identity, borders, families, businesses and American products.”

 However, it has been reported that the strength of this relationship may have been affected by Mr Trump’s foreign policies. Meloni is said to be concerned about Mr Trump’s stance on Ukraine, and possible tariffs on Italian goods because Italy does not spend 2% of GDP on the military. La Repubblica believe that Meloni is hoping Harris will win for purely political calculations. 

 Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is openly supporting Trump. Salvini has attributed a Trump victory to “bringing peace in Ukraine and the Middle East.” Salvini has drooled over a possible Trump victory saying it “would absolutely make for a beautiful autumn.”

 Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani has remained neutral on the US election. Tajani has insisted that the personality in the White House will not affect Italo-American relations: “The US is the US, we have worked well with Trump, Obama, Clinton, Biden, Bush and Regan.”

 The left of the Italian political spectrum have announced their support for Vice-President Kamala Harris.

 The Democratic Party’s leader Elly Schlein has thrown all her support for Harris. Schlein has highlighted her disliking for Harris’ opponent calling him “the personification of the broken model of worker exploitation.”

 Leader of Italia Viva Matteo Renzi has also stated his support for Harris even though she is “not the best vice-president in history, for many reasons.”

 All eyes are fixed on America where the election results are already coming in, the impact on Italy remains yet to be seen.

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