Latest news Argentina's President Milei now also Italian
Argentina's President Javier Milei is now also Italian. During a visit to Rome, the 54-year-old was granted Italian citizenship by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as reported by the Ansa news agency. The right-wing head of government and the ultra-liberal president had previously greeted each other with kisses on the cheeks and held hands at the Palazzo Chigi government headquarters.
14.12.2024, 09:53
SDA
The new citizenship is justified by the fact that the Milei family has Italian roots. His grandparents - like many other Italians - emigrated to Argentina in the first decades of the last century. Milei himself had already said a few months ago that he was "75 percent Italian". Another Argentinian with Italian roots is Pope Francis (87), who used to be Archbishop of Buenos Aires.
Criticism from the opposition
Meloni's decision was met with considerable criticism from Italy's left-wing opposition. Several MPs accused the head of government of making Milei Italian at her own discretion - while at the same time denying citizenship to immigrant children born in Italy. This weekend, Milei will be a special guest at a party organized by Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) party in Rome.
