Giorgia Meloni, Italy's inaugural female Prime Minister, has stirred controversy after being dubbed "Man of the Year" by a right-wing newspaper.
The accolade, featured in Libero and written by the paper’s Rome bureau chief, Mario Sechi, who once headed Meloni's public relations team, has drawn criticism from women’s rights activists.
They accuse Meloni of insufficiently addressing issues related to violence against women.
The article, titled 'Man of the Year,' asserts that Giorgia Meloni has triumphed in "the war of the sexes" in Italy, shattering gender barriers.
Sechi writes, "In our society of weak thinking, we have recognized strong ideas." The piece contends that Meloni, through her divergent thinking and resilience, has not only broken but dissolved the glass ceiling.
Italy's opposition parties reacted strongly to the article, accusing Meloni of neglecting the concerns of Italian women.
Elly Schlein, secretary of the centre-left Democratic Party, expressed her skepticism, stating, "Today a right-wing newspaper is explaining to us that politics and power are for men."
She views being crowned 'Man of the Year' as a form of surrender rather than an aspiration for a female politician.
MP Elisabetta Piccolotti criticized the newspaper article as an endorsement of male superiority and urged Meloni to disavow it.
In a Facebook post, Piccolotti implored the Prime Minister to clarify her gender identity, questioning whether she identifies as a woman, a man, or non-binary.
While Gennaro Sangiuliano, the culture minister in Meloni's government and a former deputy director of Libero, defended the title 'Man of the Year' as well-deserved, Giorgia Meloni has refrained from commenting on the controversy.
