The absence of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni from the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York has sparked political controversy at home after she attended the official opening of Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday.
Opposition criticises Meloni’s absence from New York
Opposition forces criticised what they regarded as a preference for a local economic and cultural event over an international diplomatic forum, at a time when the world is facing crises linked to the war in Iran, Ukraine, energy and artificial intelligence. Meloni announced in early September that she would not personally attend the General Assembly this year and that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani would represent Italy in New York.
Her absence breaks with an Italian tradition that lasted around 15 years, during which Rome took part in General Assembly meetings at prime-ministerial level, except during the coronavirus pandemic, when participation took place remotely. Meloni’s agenda on Wednesday began with remote participation in an international event, as the Prime Minister’s Office published a video of her speaking in English to participants in an international development conference co-chaired by Italy and Nigeria.
Her decision to stay away from New York had been expected to pass without major political escalation, given that Tajani was representing the government, before her personal attendance at the opening of Fashion Week attracted media attention and prompted sharp criticism from the opposition.
Ricciardi and Renzi criticise decision to stay away
Riccardo Ricciardi, leader of the opposition Five Star Movement in the Chamber of Deputies, criticised Meloni’s absence from the UN meetings, saying the world was going through a dramatic period while the prime minister had chosen to give interviews to television presenter Bruno Vespa and attend Fashion Week events in Milan.
He added that the war in the Middle East and Ukraine, along with energy-related economic burdens, required her presence in New York, in his view. Former Italian Prime Minister and leader of Italia Viva Matteo Renzi joined Meloni’s critics, speaking from New York, where he is taking part in events held alongside the General Assembly meetings.
In a video recording posted on social media, Renzi said that most world leaders were at the General Assembly, while Rome had sent its foreign minister to represent the prime minister. Renzi said participation in United Nations meetings was a political responsibility rather than a personal choice, and accused Meloni of staying in Italy for the election campaign.
Government defends assigning Tajani international duties
Her critics have focused on the contrast between her decision not to travel to the international diplomatic forum and her attendance at a major economic and cultural event in Milan, saying this reflected the priority given to domestic issues and preparations for upcoming elections in the prime minister’s calculations. Government sources, by contrast, said the decision was consistent with a position Meloni announced in July following the NATO summit.
At the time, she said she would delegate Tajani to attend some international engagements, having taken part in numerous summits and because she needed to focus on domestic issues. The sources said her absence required no justification, citing the non-attendance of European and international leaders at previous UN sessions.
In this context, the sources referred to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. From New York, Tajani sought to limit the repercussions of the controversy, stressing that Meloni’s absence did not mean Italy attached less importance to the United Nations and that his government regarded the international organisation as an essential tool for achieving peace.
The foreign minister pointed to Italy’s participation in a number of UN initiatives, as well as the presence of an Italian candidate for the leadership of the Food and Agriculture Organisation. His comments sought to underline Rome’s continued engagement in multilateral action, despite Italy being represented at this year’s General Assembly meetings by its foreign minister rather than its prime minister.
Meloni defends support for Italian fashion industry
Meloni, for her part, defended her attendance at the opening of Fashion Week, saying her presence this year was particularly important because the fashion industry was facing difficult conditions despite continuing to contribute to the Italian economy.
She said she wanted to send a practical signal of the government’s interest in the sector by simplifying procedures and providing the necessary resources, including allocating 100 million euros to encourage investment. Alongside the dispute over priorities, speculation emerged linking her absence to tensions in Meloni’s relationship with US President Donald Trump.
La Repubblica suggested that these tensions may have been the reason she did not travel to New York, while Fox News said the absence effectively indicated an effort to avoid another direct meeting between Meloni and Trump that could intensify the dispute between them. Meloni’s relationship with Trump had appeared close during a series of meetings and gatherings in the United States and at other international forums.
However, recent international summits have shown, according to reports, growing tensions between them, after their previous rapprochement developed into a relationship described as closer to a breakdown. This added an international dimension to the domestic debate over the prime minister’s decision not to attend the UN meetings.
