Italy’s opposition has criticised Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government for remaining silent on controversial statements by United States President Donald Trump and on recent US actions abroad, including in Venezuela.
Green-Left Alliance (AVS) co-leader Nicola Fratoianni said on Monday that the government’s lack of response was “incredible”, particularly as several European leaders have voiced concern over Washington’s rhetoric and conduct.
“Faced with strong reactions from governments across Europe, Italy’s silence is incredible,” Fratoianni said. He questioned whether Rome believed that unconditional alignment with Washington was “in the national interest”.
Fratoianni referred both to Trump’s comments about Greenland and to what he described as US actions taken outside international law. “This was not a tragedy of circumstance, but a political choice,” he said, accusing the government of failing to defend principles of sovereignty and legality shared by many European partners.
Several European leaders criticise unilateral action
Several European leaders, while critical of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s record, have warned against unilateral action. Officials in France, Germany and northern Europe have stressed that any response to the crisis must respect international law and avoid setting precedents that weaken global norms.
The Italian Left argues that questioning US actions does not amount to support for Maduro. Opposition figures say it reflects a broader European concern about legitimacy and long-term consequences. The government side has rejected that interpretation. Brothers of Italy (FdI) Senator Gianni Rosa accused the Left of ignoring human rights abuses in Venezuela while focusing solely on US responsibility.
“I am convinced that the victims of the Maduro regime are wondering why, while the Venezuelan people are celebrating, parts of the Italian Left are protesting US action,” Rosa said in a statement.
He cited figures relating to political prisoners, alleged torture, forced migration and humanitarian need, arguing that opposition protests overlooked “serious human rights violations, repression of political dissent, and an economic and social crisis that forced millions to flee”.
Rosa attacks left for being pro-Maduro
According to Rosa, Maduro “is not recognised as president by almost the entire international community”, and opposing US intervention risks legitimising an authoritarian system. “The Left wants to justify itself by citing American military action against international law,” he said, adding that this did not erase Maduro’s responsibility.
Rosa insisted that the Italian government “always supports the Venezuelan people” and their demand for “free, transparent and democratic elections”.
The debate reflects a wider European divide. Many EU leaders condemn repression in Venezuela, while also warning that US-led actions, if taken outside established international frameworks, risk undermining the very legal order Europe seeks to defend.
Italy’s government has so far avoided public comment on Trump’s remarks about Greenland or on the broader implications of US foreign policy. The opposition says this silence distances Rome from key European partners, while the ruling coalition argues that criticism of Washington distracts from the suffering of Venezuelans.
