Italy PM urges EU to focus on itself after Trump's victory

BUDAPEST, Nov 08 (Reuters): The EU must focus on setting its own house in order, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday, citing tariffs, competitiveness and defence as the most pressing issues the bloc faces as it comes to terms with Donald Trump's election win.

Trump's return to power poses a major challenge for the European Union as its leaders meet in Budapest amid uncertainty in a continent that is struggling to find unity, with two of its biggest powers, Germany and France, politically weakened.

Meloni is seen as a potentially strong partner for Trump given her conservative credentials and the overall stability of the right-wing coalition she headed in Italy since 2022.

"Don't ask what the US can do for you, ask what Europe should do for itself," she told reporters ahead of the EU leaders' meeting in the Hungarian capital.