Rome is set to grant Italian citizenship to Argentina’s President Javier Milei, local media has reported, citing government sources.
Milei, who is visiting Italy on Friday to meet with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, will be granted citizenship through the right of descent, as Milei had Italian grandparents, Il Post reported.
The Argentinian leader has spoken often of his family’s history — his grandparents moved to Argentina from Calabria in southern Italy in 1926. In addition to the president, his chief adviser and sister, Karina Milei, will also be granted Italian citizenship.
Beyond their shared Italian roots, the leaders are close ideological allies and have a warm relationship — Milei recently presented Meloni with a bizarre gift: a chainsaw-wielding figurine of himself.
Milei will receive the citizenship Friday evening, as he’s scheduled to meet with Meloni at 6:30 p.m. CET, according to Il Post. On Saturday, Milei is set to attend the annual Atreju rally of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party.
Milei’s dual citizenship is unlikely to affect his ability to govern, as he would not be the first Argentinian president with dual citizenship. Mauricio Macri, who served between 2015 and 2019, had an Italian passport.