Giorgia Meloni Defends Her Role as Mother Amid Political Attacks
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has strongly condemned what she described as a baseless and fabricated controversy over her private life, after facing criticism for spending a weekend abroad with her daughter to celebrate her birthday.
Meloni explained that she deliberately set aside two days to focus on what she called her “most beautiful and natural role” — being a mother. She chose to travel with her daughter on regular commercial flights, emphasizing that their trip was no different from what any other family might do.
However, the private celebration soon became the subject of political speculation. Opponents alleged that the trip may have involved state resources or undisclosed meetings, accusations Meloni flatly rejected as “completely false.” She expressed indignation that a personal family moment was turned into a political weapon.
The Prime Minister stated that she is proud to balance her responsibilities as a leader with her responsibilities as a parent, insisting that dedicating time to her daughter should not be distorted into “petty attacks and political speculation.”
“This is not only a matter of politics, but also one of being a woman and a mother,” Meloni said, underlining that such attacks reflect deeper biases against female leaders who attempt to balance family and public duties.
She further argued that if her political rivals have resorted to targeting her for something as personal as a weekend with her child, it demonstrates the weakness of their position and the depth to which political discourse has fallen.
Meloni’s response highlights the tension between public life and private identity for world leaders — and the challenges faced by women in politics who demand recognition not only as politicians, but also as mothers.
