Southern Europe in April 2026: the most important developments in politics
In Southern Europe in April 2026 the dominant political story was the public rift between US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. On 14 April Trump said he was "shocked" by Meloni and claimed she did not want to help the US in the war with Iran; he had earlier attacked Pope Leo, and Meloni had criticised him for it. Meloni replied that Italy is "an ally, not a vassal". Iran mocked the dispute, offering to become Italy's new ally. Italy suspended the automatic renewal of its defence agreement with Israel, and Meloni pressed for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying she wants Parliament to decide on any mission there. At home she ruled out a reshuffle on 9 April and said her coalition would govern for the full term. Italy summoned the Israeli ambassador after shots were reported at a UN vehicle in Lebanon, and the Russian ambassador over insults to Meloni by a Russian TV host.
Spain was the second focus. On 10 and 11 April Israel barred Spain from the US-led Gaza ceasefire monitoring centre. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez made his fourth visit to China, where Xi Jinping called for closer cooperation. He urged the EU to suspend its association agreement with Israel, backed by Brazil and Mexico, but Germany and Italy rejected the proposal and it failed to win enough support. On 24 April reports said Pentagon officials had floated punitive measures against NATO members, including suspending Spain; a NATO spokesperson said there is no provision to expel members, and Sanchez dismissed the reports.
In Spanish domestic politics, Vox joined the regional government of Extremadura with the vice presidency and two ministries, and reached a pact with the People's Party in Aragon. Ortega Smith was expelled from Vox.
Elsewhere, Greece and France renewed their defence pact for five years on 25 April. EU leaders met in Cyprus for an informal summit on 23 and 24 April to discuss Ukraine, Hormuz, energy and defence. Italy's government named new heads of Eni, Enel and Leonardo, replacing Leonardo's chief executive Roberto Cingolani.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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