The recent EU–U.S. summit at the White House was expected to focus on war, peace, and transatlantic security. Yet, before the discussions even began, another theme quietly emerged: the way female leaders are perceived in settings of power.
As microphones picked up casual remarks before the official start, U.S. President Donald Trump turned to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and said, “You look fantastic.” It was a compliment, but one that raises questions. Would the same words have been directed at a male head of government? Or was it a reminder that, even at the highest tables of diplomacy, women are still judged first by their appearance?
This was not an isolated episode. On June 14, 2024, during the G7 dinner in Rome, French President Emmanuel Macron greeted Meloni with a hand-kiss — a gesture he also reserved for the daughter of Italy’s president, Laura Mattarella. The prime minister’s expression made her discomfort clear. Far from a neutral act of courtesy, the hand-kiss belongs to a cultural code in which women are expected to accept a form of physical contact that men would never exchange among themselves.
A similar scene unfolded in Tirana on July 10, 2025, when Albanian President Edi Rama, welcoming Meloni on a red carpet, suddenly bent down on one knee. She responds with a joke about her height, but the symbolism was striking. Once again, the interaction placed gender at the center of the protocol, creating an awkward spectacle that would not have occurred between two male leaders.
Each of these gestures — compliments, gallantry, even exaggerated reverence — might appear benign, even flattering. Yet together they point to a deeper imbalance. Women in positions of power are often treated differently, framed by codes of behavior that reinforce their exceptionality rather than their normality. The effect is subtle but persistent: a reminder that their authority is perceived through a lens that would never be applied to men.
These episodes highlight a paradox of modern politics. As more women lead nations and sit at negotiating tables, their presence is no longer rare. But the way they are addressed, greeted, or symbolically positioned still reflects traditions in which gender defines interaction. Courtesy, when it draws on outdated scripts, can become a barrier rather than a bridge.
For Giorgia Meloni — and for all women in leadership — the challenge is not only to govern, but to navigate a stage where gestures reveal how far equality still has to go.
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Eirini Lavrentiadou is an actress and singer, born in Thessaloniki in 1992. She lives in Florence, where she trained at the city’s Theatre Academy and the Fiesole School of Music. She has performed in classical Greek and European plays, worked with international directors and companies, and appeared in concerts ranging from opera to jazz. She contributes to Florence Daily News as a writer.