A Deal That Never Happened

How Italy’s Starlink Saga Reveals Europe’s Strategic Blindness?

In the tangled triangle of Giorgia Meloni, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump, Italy has found itself at the crossroads of technology, ideology, and global power dynamics. The story of Rome’s flirtation with a Starlink deal is more than a footnote in defence policy — it is a revealing parable of European fragmentation, American unpredictability and the uncomfortable personal alliances that shape contemporary geopolitics, especially the transatlantic one.

In early 2024, the Italian government quietly began talks with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to explore a deal for secure Starlink-based communications — encryption for government use, military applications in the Mediterranean and crisis-proof satellite-to-mobile links for civil authorities. The estimated value of the deal? €1.5 billion. It should have been a game changer, at least in Rome.

But by March, the deal had come to a “standstill”, as Defence Minister Guido Crosetto bluntly admitted to La Repubblica. Technical discussions had been suspended — not because of technical issues per se, but because of Elon Musk himself.

“The issue moved from Starlink to the person,” said Crosetto, referring to the whirlwind of controversy surrounding Musk’s public statements, erratic political gestures and closeness to Donald Trump. The political cost of doing business with Musk had become too high, even for Meloni’s far-right and pro-MAGA government.

Personal Becomes Political

It is no secret that Giorgia Meloni has unusually close ties to both Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Her party, Fratelli d’Italia, as well. Steve Bannon was a guest of honour at its 2018 convention. Meloni visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago before his inauguration and was the only EU leader to attend his swearing-in ceremony. Trump, in turn, has called her a “fantastic woman”.

Meanwhile, Meloni is one of the most passionate defenders of Musk. In January during a recent press conference, she dismissed concerns about Musk’s interference in other countries’ politics. “He’s not a threat to democracy,” she declared, contrasting him favourably with George Soros, whom she accused of using his wealth to influence politics across borders. “Musk doesn’t do that,” she said, “unlike Soros.”

But this personal alignment has not translated into institutional consensus. Italy’s opposition harshly criticised the proposed Starlink deal. The leftists and liberals pointed to Musk’s recent threats to cut off Ukrainian communications as evidence of his unreliability. President Sergio Mattarella was also said to be sceptical, reportedly favouring European alternatives such as OneWeb. As a result, what began as a straightforward procurement discussion turned into a referendum on the future of Italian foreign policy.

Danger of Bilateralism

The problem is not just Musk’s volatility, nor Trump’s. The deeper danger lies in the precedent Meloni’s approach sets for Europe.

By seeking to build privileged bilateral relationships with the Trump White House and figures like Musk, Meloni is undermining Europe’s collective mechanisms. And a weak EU is exactly what Trump wants. If European leaders follow her lead and abandon Brussels in favour of a one-on-one relationship with Washington, the continent’s bargaining power will be dramatically weakened.

Ironically, some in Brussels hoped that Meloni — once a fringe figure — could act as Europe’s “Trump whisperer”. The Financial Times reported in January that European leaders are counting on her to “calm” Trump on tariffs and keep him engaged on Ukraine. But this is a risky gamble. Everyone knows that Trump prefers bilateral relationships precisely because they are easier to manage. Entrusting EU security to Meloni’s personal relationship with him is not strategy — it is just a mere improvisation.

Awakening

The Starlink episode has underlined Europe’s dangerous dependence on American technological infrastructure. Giorgia Meloni herself lamented the lack of a European alternative to Starlink in January, a sentiment echoed in EU capitals.

In response, three industrial giants — Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales Alenia Space — announced a joint initiative to build a European satellite network capable of competing with SpaceX. Dubbed ‘Project Bromo’, the initiative aims to increase the production of telecommunications satellites, particularly those in low Earth orbit. The project has the backing of Paris and Rome, but faces opposition in Berlin. German officials fear dominance by Franco-Italian interests, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz has recently blocked other EU-level mergers on similar grounds.

But experts argue that time is of the essence. IRIS and other earlier initiatives are already outdated. The pace of American and Chinese development is relentless. Strategic autonomy in space is no longer a luxury — it is a necessity.

Possession of the communications infrastructure is about sovereignty. In times of crisis, no country wants to be dependent on the goodwill — or political mood — of a foreign billionaire.

Isn’t It Too Late?

This question haunts the European strategic debate. Can Europe, still slow, bureaucratic and divided, catch up with a private player like SpaceX? Can a pan-European project survive national rivalries and red tape?

Musk, for his part, is not giving up. Despite growing opposition, he is reportedly still trying to revive the Italian Starlink deal. He has tried to meet President Mattarella and remains in close contact with Meloni’s entourage. The personal diplomacy continues – even as the political logic falters.

In many ways, this story is not about Musk or Trump or even Meloni. It is about Europe’s inability to act as a coherent player in a world increasingly shaped by power blocs and personal empires. The Starlink saga is both a symptom and a warning. The question is whether anyone in Europe is really listening.

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