Italy grants citizenship to Argentine President Javier Milei

BUENOS AIRES: The Italian government has granted Argentine President Javier Milei citizenship in recognition of his Italian heritage, a move that has sparked outrage across Argentina, according to a report by The New York Times.

Javier Milei, whose grandparents migrated from Italy to Argentina, was granted Italian citizenship based on his ancestral ties, according to Italy's foreign ministry.

The decision has provoked criticism, particularly from opponents of Italy's citizenship policy, who argue that the law, which allows descendants of Italians to obtain citizenship, is unfair. Critics point out the inconsistency of granting citizenship to individuals with distant Italian ancestry while denying it to children of immigrants born in Italy.

Riccardo Magi, a liberal opposition lawmaker expressed strong disapproval over the Italian government's decision to grant citizenship to Argentine President Javier Milei and described the move as "another slap in the face" to children born in Italy or those who have lived there permanently, many of whom have been waiting for citizenship for years without success.

Sharing a post on X, Magi wrote, "Granting the Italian citizenship to President Milei is yet another slap in the face to boys and girls who were born here or live here permanently and have been waiting for citizenship for years and years, sometimes without any result," The New York Times reported.

Unlike the United States, Italy does not automatically grant citizenship to children born within its borders, whether or not the child's parents are in the country legally. Liberal forces have proposed a referendum to change the law, but Giorgia Meloni's government has resisted alterations that would relax it.

Instead, the Italian authorities have recently updated their interpretation of the citizenship law based on decisions by Italy's supreme court, making it harder to obtain it through bloodlines, The New York Times. Notably, Meloni on Saturday met Milei, with the discussions focused on advancing cooperation, with both leaders expressing a shared commitment to finalizing a 2025-2030 Action Plan to deepen their collaboration across various sectors.

The meeting also underscored the importance of judicial and security cooperation, particularly in combating transnational organized crime, and highlighted Italy's interest in expanding its economic and commercial presence in Argentina, especially in energy and high-value sectors.

Sharing a post on X on Saturday, "A few weeks after my visit to Argentina, I received the President of the Argentine Republic, @JMilei today at Palazzo Chigi. The discussion was an opportunity to reiterate the common will to further strengthen the already solid bilateral partnership, with the aim of concluding in the coming months a 2025-2030 Action Plan that will allow for a deeper understanding of the already broad areas of cooperation between the two Nations."

The post added, "The meeting also allowed us to reaffirm the importance attributed to judicial and security cooperation, with particular reference to the fight against transnational organised crime, as well as Italy's desire to increase its economic and commercial presence in Argentina, starting from the energy and high value-added sectors. In conclusion of the meeting, we agreed to maintain close coordination also on the main issues of the international agenda."