Meloni received a rapturous welcome to Trump's Palm Beach resort, according to videos circulating on social media.

Giorgia Meloni flew to Florida to meet with Donald Trump on Saturday, as the key European leader sought to further boost ties with the US before the president-elect’s inauguration on Jan 20.

Meloni, at the age of 47, has been commended by Trump for her impactful presence in Europe, with her election in 2022 marking her as the first female Italian prime minister. She leads the Brothers of Italy party, which gained significant popularity due to public dissatisfaction with the Italian government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

Billionaire Elon Musk is looking to carve out a role in Italy's telecommunications system by expanding his aerospace business Space X and satellite broadband venture Starlink.

Italian opposition leaders roundly criticized Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government for engaging in talks with Elon Musk’s SpaceX on a €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) deal for encrypted communications systems.

Italy is reportedly close to sealing a €1.5 billion (£1.25 billion) deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX that would provide the country’s government with secure telecommunications.

Andrea Stroppa, Elon Musk's Italian representative, on Tuesday blasted media coverage of reports that were subsequently denied of an agreement between the Italian government and the world's richest man's SpaceX company.