He hails a fantastic woman sweeping all before her in Europe. She praises a strong and shrewd defender of the West. Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni are fast forging a new transatlantic "special relationship".

From Nigel Farage to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, here are the competitors for the position of Europe’s Trump whisperer.

WASHINGTON DC, JAN 24 - United States President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his admiration for Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. When asked by a reporter about Meloni, Trump replied "I like her a lot".

WASHINGTON DC, JAN 24 - United States President Donald Trump said "I like (Italian Premier Giorgia) Meloni a lot" on Friday when asked by a Mediaset reporter about whether his administration might go easy on Italy when it comes to imposing tariffs on EU goods.

C onflicting SIGNALS are reaching the new American administration from Rome. And some carry a whiff of incense. While Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, was preparing to fly to Washington to schmooze President Donald Trump and his chums, a leader on the other side of the Tiber was communicating stark disapproval of their plans.

Faced with a steadily declining birth rate, the Meloni government is encouraging couples to have more children, yet without providing funding or adequate measures to support parents.

It was the third ruling against the policy of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government by a court, which ruled against the transfers pending a review next month by an E.U. court.

Giorgia Meloni’s presence at Donald Trump’s inauguration aimed to reinforce her status as a privileged interlocutor with the new US administration. But this position carries risks for Italy and the EU.

The inauguration of Donald Trump saw political leaders, industrial barons and far-right world leaders attend. Here's who was in the audience.

Their attendance marks the first time world leaders have been present at a U.S. president’s swearing-in ceremony, a historian said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington on Monday, her office confirmed on Saturday. Meloni will be one of the highest-profile European politicians to attend the event.

Donald Trump has broken with tradition and invited foreign politicians to his swearing-in, including conservative and far-right figures such as Italy's Giorgia Meloni, Argentina's Javier Milei and French MEP Marion Maréchal.