Milan, 18 April (LaPresse) – ‘The Prime Minister has committed to increasing military spending and investing 10 billion in Italian companies in the US when she has not yet found a single one to protect those affected by tariffs and prevent relocations. In return, she seems to have secured a visit from Trump to Italy. For now, I don't think it's a great result. In general, the problem is not talking to Trump, but doing so with your head held high. The fundamental issue is not to give Trump the idea that he can negotiate bilaterally with each country, which is what he would like to do in order to weaken the European Union.’ This was the response of PD secretary Elly Schlein in an interview with the daily newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, in response to a question about the meeting between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump. ‘Europe,’ she added, ‘must be united and compact in these negotiations and must be ready to strike where it hurts most, namely the American Big Tech companies that support Trump. The current president is our political opponent, but that does not mean giving up our fundamental relationship with the United States. We must therefore negotiate until the last minute, and do so with the awareness that we are a market of 500 million people, the second largest trading power in the world and the third in terms of GDP. We must also clarify what is negotiable for Europe and what is not: we must defend both the quality and distinctiveness of our products.’