Meloni of Italy defends Musk’s political remarks during Starlink negotiations

Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, defended Elon Musk’s increasing political participation on Thursday, claiming that she had never spoken to him about a possible agreement to provide Italy with secure communications.

As the U.S. internet billionaire, who is an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, increases his remarks on European politics on his social media platform X, the right-wing leader rejected worries about political meddling.

As the Italian government considers a potential contract dependent on Starlink, a division of Musk’s SpaceX company, Meloni and Musk’s positive connection is in the news.

“I evaluate foreign investments through a single lens, which is the lens of national interest, not friendships or political ideas of those who may invest,” Meloni stated.

At a press conference that lasted two and a half hours, Meloni said, “I also take this opportunity to tell you that I have never personally spoken with Elon Musk about these matters,” when the topic of Musk kept coming up.

According to a person with knowledge of the situation, SpaceX is now negotiating a five-year agreement worth a total of 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion). Opposition parties have harshly criticized the initiative, raising concerns about whether a Musk firm should be tasked with managing such communications.

“I don’t comprehend all of the claims that have been made because we are still in the investigating stage. Is it Elon Musk’s political beliefs or SpaceX’s private nature that is the issue? Meloni went on.

NO RISK FOR DEMOCRACY

In order to facilitate safe communication between the government, Italian diplomats, and defense personnel working in sensitive regions throughout the Mediterranean, Italy is considering utilizing Musk’s space-based telecommunications infrastructure.

Since there aren’t any Italian or EU-backed alternatives to Starlink at the moment, Meloni said Italy was presented with a challenge about how to safeguard its private communications.

Before the end of 2030, the EU’s IRIS2 (Iris squared) satellite network is not anticipated to be fully operational.

“We either do not secure this data or we speak with a private company. Which of the two less-than-ideal circumstances is the better one? Meloni said.

Ahead of the German election next month, Musk has been influencing politics by criticizing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his support for the far-right AfD party.

However, Meloni stood up for Musk’s freedom of speech.

“I don’t think democracy is under danger. “Elon Musk is a well-known and affluent individual who shares his opinions,” Meloni stated.