By Giada Santana | Euractiv | podcast by Miriam Sáenz de Tejada and Nicoletta Ionta 28-06-2024 (updated: 03-07-2024 ) Content-Type: News News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has successfully leveraged her exclusion from the EU top job talks to reinforce her party’s Eurosceptic narrative and position herself as a champion against the EU’s elitism. But how is her strategy playing out in Brussels? In this episode, host Giada Santana and Euractiv Italy’s Alessia Peretti discuss what Meloni wants from the European Council’s meeting and what she obtained. In this episode you will find more about: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed dissatisfaction with being excluded from top job negotiations in the EU. Meloni criticized the lack of logic in the EU and portrayed herself as a victim of power games, aligning with her party’s Eurosceptic narrative. Meloni’s priorities include migration, the Green Deal, and a common defense industrial policy. While some of Meloni’s defense priorities were approved, she abstained from voting for Ursula von der Leyen and expressed opposition to other candidates. Meloni’s actions highlight her strategic positioning within the EU and her efforts to influence its direction.