‘You’d win a million votes in Delhi’: Italy's Giorgia Meloni recalls 2023 India trip, says posters of her lined streets

GIorgia Meloni has revisited her 2023 trip up to republic of india in a young rule book. The Italian ground Minister shared a light-hearted anecdote about the warm reception she received in New Delhi, where her posters lined the streets during her arrival and departure.The account appears in the book ‘Giorgia’s Vision’, written from her conversations with journalist Alessandro Sallusti, in which she describes how the visuals left such a strong impression that her deputy, Antonio Tajani, who accompanied her, joked about her popularity translating into votes, according to the excerpts cited in a PTI news agency report."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 her March 2023 visit.Meloni travelled to India twice in 2023. Her most significant official engagement took place during her March visit, when she was in New Delhi for high-level bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the visit, she also served as the Chief Guest and keynote speaker at the 8th Raisina Dialogue. She returned later in the year for the G20 Summit in September.ALSO READ | PM Modi, Meloni share laugh, discuss ‘Instagram’, days after viral ‘Melodi’ post gets 13M likes‘Personal keys’ to diplomacyIn the book, Meloni reflects more broadly on her approach to international relations. "A few witty words, a personal story, a common interest -- it can make all the difference," she says.She describes how shared interests, casual conversations, and small gestures often become the foundation of trust between leaders.Cigarette conversationsOne of the more striking anecdotes involves her first meeting with Tunisian President Kais Saied, where an informal break helped shift the tone of the discussion.After a lengthy bilateral meeting, Saied invited her to view the sea from his residence. Meloni, who had resumed smoking after a long break, asked to light a cigarette. "He was overjoyed! He pulled out his own pack of cigarettes, and that coffee and cigarette break became our moment," she recalled in the book.ALSO READ | 'Need each other': Macron to host Italian PM Giorgia Meloni amid strained relation, Trump rift‘Giorgia’s Vision’ In the book “Giorgia’s Vision”, written as a series of conversations, Meloni also talks about her friendships with several world leaders. She calls Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama very engaging and fluent in Italian. She says Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic shares her love for Italian wine and once gave her orange roses on her birthday.Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also appears in her memories. At the G7 summit in Hiroshima, he reportedly gave her a large Hello Kitty doll for her daughter.She recalls Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki taking her to a cafe in Warsaw with a Lord of the Rings theme. She also says Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev gave her a translated copy of her memoir ‘I am Giorgia’ during a visit to Rome.