Italy Grants Argentinian President Citizenship, Sparking Outrage
Italian Government Grants Citizenship to Argentinian President, Sparking Outrage
Rome, Italy – The Italian government has granted citizenship to Argentinian President Javier Milei adn his sister Karina, according to Italian news agency ANSA. The decision, which fast-tracked the applications, has ignited a firestorm of criticism across the country.
Critics argue the move represents “intolerable discrimination” against young Italians who face years of bureaucratic hurdles to obtain citizenship. Riccardo Magi, a lawmaker from the opposition party +Europa, condemned the decision in a video posted on social media.
“Millions of Italians born in Italy,raised here,who studied,worked,and pay taxes in this country – unlike President Milei – will face an arduous journey to gain citizenship,” Magi said.
Current Italian law mandates a 10-year residency requirement for foreigners seeking citizenship. even children born in Italy to foreign parents must wait until they turn 18 to apply. While organizations like Oxfam Italia have advocated for reducing the waiting period to align with other EU nations like France and Germany, Prime Minister giorgia Meloni’s far-right government has staunchly opposed such changes.
Milei-Meloni Bond
The citizenship grant comes on the heels of a state visit by Meloni to Argentina, where she met with Milei.The 54-year-old libertarian leader also joined Meloni at the Atreju Festival, a right-wing youth event in rome organized by her Brothers of Italy party.
The two leaders have forged a strong bond due to their shared ideological views. Last month, Meloni presented Milei with a figurine of him wielding a chainsaw, a reference to his 2023 campaign where he famously used a chainsaw to symbolize his intention to shrink government.
Milei is not the first Argentinian president to hold dual Italian citizenship. Mauricio Macri, who served as Argentina’s president from 2015 to 2019, also possessed an Italian passport.
“Intolerable”: Italian Citizenship for Argentine President Sparks Outrage
rome, Italy – Controversy erupted this week as the Italian goverment granted citizenship to Argentine President Javier Milei and his sister Karina, bypassing standard procedures. The move has been met with widespread criticism, with many accusing the government of hypocrisy and preferential treatment.
“Millions of Italians born in Italy, raised here, who studied, worked, and pay taxes in this country – unlike President Milei – will face an arduous journey to gain citizenship,” stated Riccardo Magi, a lawmaker from the opposition party +Europa, in a scathing social media post.
Italy currently requires a 10-year residency period for foreigners seeking citizenship. Even those born in Italy to foreign parents must wait untill 18 to apply. While organizations like Oxfam Italia have called for reforms to align with othre EU countries like France and Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government has firmly resisted such changes.
The granting of citizenship came shortly after Meloni’s state visit to Argentina, where she met with Milei. The 54-year-old libertarian leader also attended the Atreju festival, a right-wing youth event in Rome organized by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party.
The two leaders, who share similar ideological views, have formed a strong bond. Last month, Meloni even gifted Milei a figurine of him wielding a chainsaw, symbolic of his 2023 campaign promise to “shrink government.”
Milei is not the first Argentine president to hold dual Italian citizenship. Mauricio macri, who served as Argentina’s president from 2015 to 2019, also possessed an Italian passport.