Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has shared a memorable anecdote from her 2023 visit to India in her new book, ‘Giorgia’s Vision’, recalling how New Delhi’s roads were lined with welcome posters featuring her photograph. Meloni wrote that posters displaying her image and the word “Welcome” appeared every few feet along the route from the airport. When she departed, the same posters had been replaced with messages reading “Thank you for visiting.”
“When I arrived, there was a poster with my face and the word ‘Welcome’ every few feet along the road. When I left, the posters showed the same image, but now read ‘Thank you for visiting’.
Recalling the moment, Meloni said Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, who accompanied her during the visit, joked that she would receive “a million votes” if she contested an election from a New Delhi constituency.
“My colleague Antonio Tajani, who was with me, joked: ‘With all these posters, if you ran for the New Delhi constituency, you’d get a million votes’,” says the Italian PM, recalling her March 2023 visit.
The Italian Prime Minister visited India twice in 2023, first to attend the Raisina Dialogue in March and later for the G20 Summit in September. In the book, she reflects on her cordial relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that successful diplomacy often depends on building personal connections beyond formal meetings.
Meloni’s New Book And The Behind-The-Scenes Anecdotes
Meloni also shares several behind-the-scenes anecdotes about world leaders. She recalls bonding with Tunisian President Kais Saied over a cigarette break, discussing ‘The Lord of the Rings’ with former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and receiving a giant Hello Kitty doll for her daughter from former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The book, based on conversations with journalist Alessandro Sallusti, explores leadership, diplomacy, national identity, family, and global politics. Its foreword has been written by US Vice President JD Vance.
(With Inputs From PTI)