“I work to have major investments in Italy and evaluate the usefulness of each investment through the prism of our national interest,” the premier told Corriere della Sera in response to a question on risks to national security.

Meloni’s ties to Musk, the world’s richest person, have created headlines in Italy, with the billionaire even bestowing an award on her in New York. 

At the same time, Musk has waded into the Italian political and business scene, at one point warning that the country needs to produce more children, and at another claiming phone carrier Telecom Italia SpA was obstructing a high-speed rollout by his Starlink Inc.

Musk and Meloni have discussed investment opportunities in the space and artificial intelligence sectors, and Italy’s new regulatory framework grants foreign space companies permission to operate in the country.

Meloni is “authentic, honest, truthful — and that can’t always be said about politicians,” Musk said during the award ceremony in September.

The appreciation appears to be mutual, with the premier telling Corriere that Musk is “like a genius” who’s been depicted “as a monster only because he’s chosen the ‘wrong’ side” politically. 

Other European politicians have been less upbeat on Musk, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his deputy, Robert Habeck, using their New Year addresses this week to castigate him over his backing for a far-right party in February’s snap election.

Musk, a key figure in President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, will have a top advisory role in the new US government.