A diplomatic rift has opened between Washington and Rome after former President Donald Trump publicly berated Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over seating arrangements at a Group of Seven leaders’ summit, signalling a broader erosion of trust within the transatlantic alliance.
The row erupted following a group photograph taken at the G7 summit in Cornwall last week. Trump, who attended the summit as a former US president, took exception to Meloni’s position in the frame, which placed her at the edge of the front row. He complained in a phone call to Meloni on Monday that the arrangement diminished the stature of Italy, the summit’s host, and accused her of failing to assert Italian interests.
According to European officials briefed on the conversation, Trump’s tone was confrontational. He described the photograph as “an insult” and demanded that Meloni ensure a “proper” placement at future events. Meloni, a right-wing populist who has sought to position herself as a bridge between the US and Europe, is said to have responded defensively, insisting that the seating was determined by protocol and that she had not been personally involved in the arrangements.
The fallout has exposed underlying tensions between the Trump faction of the Republican Party and European leaders, many of whom have struggled to calibrate their relations with a former US president who remains a powerful figure in American politics. For Meloni, who has courted Trump as a potential ally on issues such as China and migration, the incident represents a setback in her efforts to maintain equidistance between Washington and Brussels.
Italian diplomats expressed dismay at the public nature of the dispute. “This is not how allies treat each other,” said a senior Italian foreign ministry official speaking on condition of anonymity. “We expected a degree of respect even in private disagreements.”
The broader transatlantic alliance, already strained by disputes over trade tariffs, defence spending, and policy towards Ukraine, now faces a new fracture line. European diplomats worry that Trump’s continued influence over the Republican Party could complicate the Biden administration’s efforts to restore multilateral cooperation.
Analysts note that the photo row is symptomatic of a deeper shift in the nature of US-European relations. “What we are seeing is the personalisation of diplomacy,” said Dr. Alison Hart, a professor of international relations at Oxford University. “When a former president feels emboldened to berate a sitting prime minister over a photograph, it reveals a loss of institutional restraint. That is dangerous for the alliance.”
The White House declined to comment on the dispute, referring questions to the State Department, which said it remained focused on substantive issues. Trump’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
For Meloni, the challenge will be to repair ties with both Washington and conservative networks in the US without alienating her domestic base, which is sceptical of American influence. Her government has yet to issue a formal statement on the incident, but a source close to her office said she intends to request a meeting with Trump to “clear the air”.
In the meantime, the episode has provided a vivid reminder that the transatlantic alliance, while resilient, is vulnerable to the whims of individual personalities. As the G7 prepares for its next summit in Canada, the question of who stands where may no longer be a trivial matter.
