30.06.2026, Rome.
Following deterioration relations with Washington, Italy is strengthening cooperation with France, turning a forced rapprochement into an attempt to integrate into a more independent European defense and industrial policy, Rossa Primavera News Agency‘s Europe Desk wrote on June 28.
On June 25, a Franco-Italian summit was held in Antibes, at which French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signed a package of agreements, including a defense roadmap for 2026–2031. This concerns cooperation in defense, space, civil nuclear energy, and cross-border infrastructure.
Meloni long tried to act as Europe’s channel of communication with US President Donald Trump, but disputes over tariffs, Iran, and the overall US line on Europe sharply narrowed Rome’s room for maneuver, and the recent personal conflict between Trump and Meloni further problematized future relations. Therefore, the rapprochement with Paris is effectively a forced pivot by Italy toward European partners.
Italy is returning closer to the European core, primarily in matters of defense and industrial policy. For Meloni, this is a way to show that Italy is not left alone after the deterioration of the relationships with Washington. For Macron, it is a chance to strengthen the idea of European strategic autonomy through practical projects: SAMP/T NG air defense, future interceptors, naval programs, space, and joint procurement.
Such rapprochement has an economic foundation. France and Italy trade with each other for more than €100 billion annually, and their companies have long been linked in the defense industry, energy, transport, and the luxury sector.
The break with Trump became a catalyst, but not the sole reason: both countries are objectively interested in Europe producing and purchasing more within itself, especially when the US guarantees and promises appear less predictable.
At the same time, it is too early to speak of a new strong Paris–Rome axis. Disagreements remain between Macron and Meloni on migration, Ukraine, trade agreements, and the balance of powers within the EU. There is also competition for control over strategic industrial assets.
For now, it is more accurate to call the ongoing rapprochement an alliance of necessity. If the defense roadmap turns into real contracts, and cooperation continues after the 2027 elections in Italy, it will become a long-term shift. For now, Rome is hedging against a less reliable USA, while Paris is trying to rally a more independent European defense coalition around itself.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
