Argentine President Javier Milei was granted Italian citizenship by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a visit to Rome, ANSA news agency reported.
Meloni received the ultra-liberal Argentine president on Friday evening at the Palazzo Chigi in Rome, the seat of the Italian government.
Milei is in Rome on Saturday to attend a festival organized by Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party.
The move drew criticism from the country’s left-wing opposition, with lawmakers accusing Meloni of acting on impulse while denying citizenship to Italian-born children of immigrants.
Milei’s Italian grandparents emigrated to Argentina in the early 20th century, which gave Meloni the justification for granting him citizenship.
A few months ago, Milei declared himself “75% Italian”.
Another Argentinian with Italian roots is Pope Francis, who served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires before ascending to the papacy.
