Argentinian President Milei Granted Italian Citizenship, Sparking Outrage

The granting of Italian citizenship to Argentinian President Javier Milei and his sister Karina has ignited a firestorm of controversy in Italy, Al Jazeera reports.

The news, broken by Italian news agency ANSA on Saturday, reveals that the applications were expedited by the Rome government, a move condemned by opposition politicians as discriminatory.

Currently, Italian law requires foreigners to reside in Italy for ten years before applying for citizenship. Even children born in Italy to foreign parents must wait until age 18 to apply. While organizations like Oxfam Italia advocate for reducing this waiting period to align with other EU nations such as France and Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government has steadfastly resisted such reforms.

The timing of the citizenship grant is particularly sensitive. Milei met with Meloni during a state visit on Friday and subsequently appeared together at the Atreju Festival, a right-wing youth event organized by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party. The two leaders, known for their shared ideological leanings, have cultivated a strong relationship. Last month, Meloni presented Milei with a chainsaw figurine, a playful nod to his 2023 campaign imagery.

Milei is not the first Argentinian president to hold dual Italian citizenship; Mauricio Macri, president from 2015 to 2019, also possessed an Italian passport. However, the speed at which Milei’s application was processed, in contrast to the protracted waits faced by many Italian citizens, has fueled the public outcry.