The Italian government takes orders from no one—not from Elon Musk, nor from Javier Milei on the EU-Mercosur agreement. Speaking in the Senate ahead of the European Council meeting, Giorgia Meloni addressed various foreign policy concerns, particularly her relationships with prominent figures like the Tesla founder. She prefaced her remarks by stating: "Musk became an issue after supporting Trump. Before that, he wasn’t". Nonetheless, she added, "For years, we’ve seen Italian leaders who, when they had a good relationship abroad, felt they had to slavishly follow others. I am free and take orders from no one. I can be friends with Elon Musk and the president of a government that has passed legislation to restrict private individuals' activities in space". And she addressed the opposition with a sarcastic remark: "Hearing you defend Italy from foreign interference, having converted you into nationalists, I consider it Elon Musk's greatest success, more than landing on the moon".