Does Giorgia Meloni ‘take orders’ from Elon Musk? Italian prime minister comments on her ‘friendship’ with Tesla CEO

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has defended her friendship with Elon Musk, addressing concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Speaking to Italian lawmakers during a Parliamentary discussion, Meloni clarified that her personal relationships would not influence her decisions on matters where the US tech billionaire had economic stakes.

“I can be a friend of Elon Musk and at the same time the head of the first Italian government that made a new law to regulate private activity in space,’’ AP quoted her as saying.

Meloni highlighted that her government approved a framework for foreign space companies to operate in Italy, a move expected to attract investments worth €7.3 billion ( ₹64,640 crore) by 2026.

Taking a jab at her predecessors, Meloni remarked that past Italian leaders often aligned closely with foreign powers they deemed allies, sometimes at the cost of independence. According to Meloni, her administration operates differently, maintaining good relationships without compromising Italy’s sovereignty.

“I don’t take orders from anyone,” she said while adding that she enjoyed good relationships “with many people”.

Meloni’s friendship with Elon Musk

Meloni’s frequent meetings with Musk, the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, have sparked public interest since her government came to power in 2022. She has actively sought to draw foreign investments into Italy, and Musk’s enterprises have been part of this broader strategy.

Their friendship has been under the spotlight before. In September, Musk denied rumours of a romantic relationship with Meloni after a photo of them at a black-tie event in New York went viral. At the event, Musk presented Meloni with an award. A year ago, Musk also participated in a youth event organised by Meloni’s party in Italy.

Recently, Musk used his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), to criticise an Italian court’s decision that hindered Meloni’s plans to vet migrants rescued at sea in Albania. His comments stirred controversy and drew criticism from Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

(With AP inputs)