https://arab.news/48mtp
- Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi had put the proposal to the cabinet for the granting of citizenship “for special merits,” a government statement said
- The proposal will now go to Italy’s ceremonial head of state, President Sergio Mattarella, for approval
ROME: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right government has agreed to grant citizenship to a pro-Trump Fox News journalist for her work improving US-Italian ties.
The proposal concerning Maria Bartiromo, a prominent business journalist and news anchor with Italian roots, was agreed at a cabinet meeting late Thursday.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi had put the proposal to the cabinet for the granting of citizenship “for special merits,” a government statement said.
“Throughout her more than 30-year career as a journalist, (Bartiromo) has significantly contributed to strengthening relations between Italy and the United States, maintaining her unwavering commitment to Italian institutions,” it said.
The proposal will now go to Italy’s ceremonial head of state, President Sergio Mattarella, for approval.
Bartiromo has spoken proudly about her Italian ancestors, recalling how her grandfather Carmine arrived in the United States at the age of 11.
Her father’s family is from Naples and her mother’s family is from Agrigento in Sicily.
Bartiromo’s citizenship is within the rules, even after Meloni’s government tightened the requirements for an Italian passport this year.
Previously, people proving blood ties of up to four generations could apply, but now they must have an Italian parent or grandparent.
However, the decision to award the journalist citizenship has made headlines in Italy, given her outspoken support for Trump and accusations that she peddles conspiracy theories.
Fox, the Rupert Murdoch-owned network, and Bartiromo were named in multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuits launched by Smartmatic over baseless fraud claims involving their voting technology in the 2020 US presidential election.