Italy’s Government Granting Citizenship to Argentine President’s Ancestral Roots Sparks Outrage
Italy’s government has granted citizenship to Argentine President Javier Milei, citing his Italian family roots, prompting a fierce backlash from opposition politicians and social media users. According to sources, Milei received Italian citizenship as he has three Italian grandparents, making him eligible for citizenship based on blood ties.
However, critics have lambasted the decision, pointing out that obtaining Italian citizenship for children born in Italy to migrant parents is an arduous process. Pro-migrant groups have long pushed for relaxing the rules, but the current right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has consistently opposed any changes.
Lawmaker Riccardo Magi from the +Europa party accused the government of “intolerable discrimination” against young people born in Italy to migrant parents, saying they would have to wait many years to obtain citizenship. Milei, a libertarian president, has previously spoken of his “incredible passion for Italian opera” and claimed to feel “75% Italian” due to his ancestral roots.
Milei’s citizenship has been met with controversy, while his relationship with Prime Minister Meloni has been a topic of interest, with the two leaders sharing a close bond. In a recent meeting in Buenos Aires, Milei presented Meloni with a statuette of himself holding a chainsaw, highlighting their similarities and rapport.