Donald Trump’s 20 January inauguration boasts a thin European guest list, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni the only head of state personally invited.
For his inauguration ceremony, US President-elect Donald Trump has broken the unwritten rule that foreign heads of state are not invited, extending invitations to several leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Among EU leaders, however, only Meloni is confirmed to have received a personal invitation to the event, bolstered by her personal relationship with Trump, whom she recently visited at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
Despite reports suggesting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had been invited, Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs denied the claims on Wednesday, stating that neither Orbán nor any Hungarian government officials received an invitation.
“No foreign leader has received an ‘official’ invitation,” Kovacs said on X.
Meloni, however, personally confirmed her invitation earlier this month during her annual press conference in Rome, noting that she was “considering it based on her schedule.”
“If I can make it, I’d be happy to attend,” Meloni said.
Euractiv understands that the invitation was extended to Meloni on a personal basis, but it is “not yet decided” whether she will be present in Washington on Monday.
The European contingent on the guestlist is largely made up of Trump’s ideological bedfellows, with numerous figures from right-wing and far-right movements have received invitations.
Éric Zemmour, leader of France’s far-right Reconquête party, confirmed his attendance on X. Freshly-elected European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party leader Mateusz Morawiecki will attend and has announced plans to organise an ECR delegation for the event. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is also due to attend, as will Alternative for Germany co-leader Tino Chrupalla, dpa reported.
Among members of the European Parliament, French ECR lawmaker Marion Maréchal and Sarah Knafo of the Europe of Sovereign Nations group will attend the ceremony in Washington.
[Edited by Owen Morgan]