But this week Georgia Meloni was tempted away from the riches of the Italian mainland in favour of a destination that is fast becoming a favourite with her compatriots: neighbouring Albania.
Meloni left a farmhouse flanked by olive trees in Puglia and boarded a ferry to Vlora, an Albanian city on the opposite side of the Adriatic. The catalyst for her last-minute trip was the revelation that thousands of Italians have shunned the bel paese for the Balkan country this year, a trend that has displeased some Italian government officials. The Albanian prime minister, Edi Rama, fuelled the debate after bragging on social media about the "invasion" of almost half a million Italian tourists. He illustrated the point by comparing a photo of a packed ferry arriving in Albania with one of the Vlora, the cargo ship carrying an estimated 20,000 Albanian refugees who fled the country on 8 August 1991.
Rama extended an invitation to Meloni, who spent a few hours with her daughter and partner at his seaside home. "She came [off the ferry] with a big bunch of Italians who seemed very proud of their travel companion and were shouting as she disembarked," said Rama. "Her first words were: 'My, how beautiful this city is!""
Denne historien er fra August 19, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra August 19, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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