'Don't take orders from anyone': Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni on friendship with Elon Musk
Giorgia Meloni said that she makes her choices independently adding that she would not be influenced by Elon Musk’s business
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended her friendship with tech billionaire Elon Musk, affirming that her relationship with anyone does not interfere with her leadership role or Italy's policy.
According to an AP report, Meloni made the remarks while speaking in a parliamentary session ahead of the European Union summit in Brussels.
During her address, Meloni said that she makes her choices independently adding that she would not be influenced by Elon Musk’s business or take any orders from anyone.
"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 Meloni as saying.
READ | ‘Please stop using hashtags’: Why Elon Musk wants the ‘ugly’ feature gone from X
She further clarified that while she maintains "good relationships with many people," but does not "take orders from anyone."
Taking a swipe at her predecessors, she said previous Italian leaders “who thought they had a good relationship, even a friendship, with a foreign leader, they had to slavishly follow what the others did.”
Meloni, whose far-right coalition formed the government in 2022, has met with Musk on several occasions.
The two have reportedly been meeting for discussion to foster the growth of Italy's progressing space sector, a field where Italy is looking to raise its presence.
Earlier this year, the Italian government approved a new framework designed to encourage foreign space companies, including Musk's SpaceX, to operate in Italy.
Meloni-Musk picture goes viral
Recently, a viral photo of Meloni and Musk at a New York event in September sparked widespread speculation, with some social media users jokingly wondering if the two were "dating."
During the event, Musk heaped praises on the Italian PM calling her "authentic, honest, and truthful."
Despite the speculations surrounding their relationship, the Italian leader maintained that her relationship with the Tesla CEO was strictly professional.
