Argentine President Javier Milei has been granted Italian citizenship by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni while on a visit to Rome, the ANSA news agency reported.
Meloni received the ultra-liberal Argentine president in Rome’s Palazzo Chigi Friday evening, the seat of the Italian government.
Milei is in Rome to attend a festival on Saturday hosted 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 a whim while denying citizenship to the Italian-born children of immigrants.
Milei’s Italian grandparents emigrated to Argentina in the early 20th century, providing justification for Meloni to grant him citizenship.
A few months ago, Milei stated that he was “75% Italian.”
Another Argentinian with Italian roots is Pope Francis, who served as archbishop of Buenos Aires before ascending to the papacy.