Oleg Davygora17:54, 16.01.25

Among the members of the European Parliament present at the ceremony in Washington will be French ECR member Marion Maréchal and Sarah Knafo of the Europe of Sovereign Nations group.

Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 boasts a short list of European guests, with the only head of state personally invited being Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

As Euractiv reports  , the US president-elect broke the unspoken rule that foreign heads of state are not invited to the inauguration by sending invitations to several leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

It is noted that among the EU leaders, only Meloni was confirmed to have received a personal invitation to the event, which was facilitated by her personal relationship with Trump.

Despite reports that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had been invited, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltán Kovacs denied the claims, saying neither Orban nor any Hungarian government officials had received an invitation.

However, Meloni personally confirmed her invitation earlier this month during her annual press conference in Rome, noting that she was “considering it in accordance with my schedule.” She added:

“If I can come, I will be glad to attend.”

Euractiv writes that the invitation was extended to Meloni on a personal basis, but it has “not yet been decided” whether she will be present in Washington on Monday.

It is noted that the European contingent on the guest list mainly consists of Trump’s ideological allies, and numerous figures from the right and far-right movements have received invitations.

Eric Zemmour, leader of the far-right French party Reconquête, has confirmed his attendance. The newly elected leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party, Mateusz Morawiecki, will be present and has announced plans to organise an ECR delegation to the event. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is also expected to attend.

Among the members of the European Parliament present at the ceremony in Washington will be French ECR member Marion Maréchal and Sarah Knafo of the Europe of Sovereign Nations group.

(C)UNIAN 2025