Elon Musk's allegiance to Donald Trump is once again stirring up controversy — this time over Starlink. The satellite internet provider, owned by Musk's firm SpaceX, has become embroiled in a hot debate among Italian politicians, as Rome weighs its strategic alliances amid mounting tensions between Europe and the US.
Italy's right-wing League party is pushing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government to choose Starlink to provide satellite communications for government officials, citing the superiority of its technology over French rival Eutelsat. Starlink has around 6,700 active satellites in orbit, while Eutelsat has just over 600.
“In the Italian interest it would be odd to choose a French entity instead of a more technologically developed and avant-garde system like the American one,” the League said in a statement late on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Musk welcomed the remarks. He replied “much appreciated,” to a post on X that referred to the statement.
Meloni has considered using Starlink to provide encrypted satellite communications for officials in high-risk areas for a while now. However, opposition parties have warned against relying on Musk's firm — a concern heightened by reports that the US may cut Ukraine off from Starlink if a minerals deal is not reached, potentially severing a critical tool in Kyiv's fight against Russia.
There are signs that Meloni might be cooling on Musk's firm too. Bloomberg reported yesterday that the Italian government was having “growing doubts” about closing the Starlink contract, valued at €1.5bn, in light of escalating transatlantic tensions.
If Italy were to drop the proposed deal, an alternative provider that's attracting interest in Eutelsat. The firm's CEO Eva Berneke said Tuesday that the company was in talks with the EU about extending its internet service to Ukraine, sending its shares soaring 119%.
In an interview on Thursday, Berneke said the company was also in discussions with Italy. However, Meloni's office told Reuters that it had not yet entered any formal negotiations with Eutelsat or other operators.
The debate is part of a broader discussion in Italy and Europe about reducing reliance on non-European tech for critical infrastructure.
Starlink isn't the only Musk venture that's recently come under scrutiny. The fortunes of his car company, Tesla, have also been linked to his political manoeuvres. New registrations of Tesla vehicles plummeted across Europe last month, a trend which analysts have linked to Musk's role in the Trump administration and his open support of far-right politicians. However, Tesla registrations were up slightly in the UK and the US in February, so there's one win for Elon.