The Italian government has given Argentine President Javier Milei citizenship, acknowledging his Italian roots. This decision, based on his grandparents' migration from Italy to Argentina, has caused anger among many Argentinians, according to The New York Times. Italy's foreign ministry confirmed the citizenship was granted due to his ancestral connections.

The ruling has drawn criticism, especially from those who oppose Italy's citizenship policy, who contend that the law is unjust as it permits Italian descendants to become citizens. Critics highlight the unfairness of giving citizenship to people with distant Italian roots while refusing it to children of immigrants born in Italy. The Italian government's decision to grant citizenship to Argentine President Javier Milei has drawn strong criticism from Riccardo Magi, a liberal opposition lawmaker. Magi called the decision "another slap in the face" for 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. In Italy, children born within the country do not automatically receive citizenship, regardless of their parents' legal status. Unlike the United States, this rule applies to everyone. While liberal groups have suggested a referendum to change this law, Giorgia Meloni's government has opposed any changes that would make it more lenient. Recently, Italian authorities, guided by supreme court rulings, updated their interpretation of the law, making it more difficult to gain citizenship through family connections, as reported by The New York Times.

Notably, Meloni and Milei met on Saturday to discuss ways to advance cooperation. Both leaders committed to completing a 2025–2030 Action Plan to strengthen their cooperation in various sectors. The meeting emphasised the need for stronger cooperation in the areas of law and security, especially to fight transnational organised crime. It also highlighted Italy's interest in increasing its economic and commercial presence in Argentina, particularly in the 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.”