Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in new book shared an anecdote from her 2023 India visit, recalling how the roads of New Delhi were lined with posters bearing her smile to welcome her arrival and later thanking her for the visit.
In “Giorgia’s Vision", based on her conversations with journalist Alessandro Sallusti, Meloni says that the display prompted Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, who accompanied her during the trip, to joke that she would secure “a million votes" if she ran from a New Delhi constituency.
“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’.
“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 here March 2023 visit.
Meloni visited India twice in 2023, first for the 8th edition of ‘Raisina Dialogue’ in March and later for the G20 Summit in September.
The Italian leader, who shares a warm rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has been affectionately dubbed part of the “Melodi" duo by social media users, writes in the chapter ‘Head Held High Among the World Greats’ that successful diplomacy often requires moving beyond rigid formalities and find “your personal key" to connecting with others.
“A few witty words, a personal story, a common interest — it can make all the difference," she observes.
The 49-year-old illustrates this approach through a series of anecdotes.
For instance, how sometimes meaningful diplomatic relationships begin with seemingly small moments: a cigarette by the sea, a conversation about Middle-earth from “the Lord of the Rings", a bouquet of roses or a child’s toy from Japan.
One example she recounts is how she forged some of her most “solid diplomatic relationships" during informal cigarette breaks.
This incident happened during her first meeting with Tunisian President Kais Saied, whom she describes as a “strong-willed leader" and “skilled negotiator".
Following a bilateral meeting that stretched for nearly two hours, Saied invited her to admire the sea view from his residence.
Meloni, who admits she had then resumed smoking after 13 years, hesitantly asked if she could light a cigarette.
The request unexpectedly transformed the atmosphere.
“He was overjoyed! He pulled out his own pack of cigarettes, and that coffee and cigarette break became our moment," she recalls.
In the book, she warmly reflects on her interactions and personal friendships with several foreign leaders.
Among them is Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, whom she describes as one of the most spontaneous and engaging individuals she has met.
Fluent in Italian and deeply knowledgeable about Italian politics, Meloni revealed how Rama regularly exchanges messages with her on current affairs.
She also recalls her friendship with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who shares her fondness for Italian wines and once surprised her with a bouquet of orange roses on her birthday.
Former Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, who, as per Meloni, is also a fan of Italian wines, presented her with a “giant Hello Kitty doll for her daughter, Ginevra" during the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
In Poland, then-prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki appealed to another of her passions.
“When I visited Warsaw, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki — knowing how much I love Tolkien — took me for a coffee at a cafe themed after ‘The Lord of the Rings’. We stood there talking about a huge, gorgeous map of Middle-earth," she added.
Another gesture that particularly moved her came from Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Before a bilateral meeting in Rome, he had her memoir, “I am Giorgia", translated into Uzbek and presented her with a bound copy.
Structured as a series of candid conversations with journalist Sallusti, “Giorgia’s Vision" moves beyond a conventional political memoir into a broader conversation on “leadership, national identity, meritocracy, family, faith, and the future of Western civilization".
The book’s foreword is written by US Vice President JD Vance.
Published by Rupa Publications and priced at Rs 695, the book is currently available for purchase across online and offline stores.
