ITALY’S MELONI MEMOIR: INDIA’S LEADER MODI WRITES FOREWORD

Marco Vicenzino is Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s agent

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently penned the foreword for the Indian edition of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s autobiography, titled I Am Giorgia: My Roots, My Principles. As Meloni’s agent, Marco Vicenzino secured her two-book contract and organized Modi’s foreword for Meloni’s book.

Content of the Foreword

In his foreword, Modi described Meloni’s book as “her Mann Ki Baat,” drawing a parallel to his own popular radio broadcast of the same name. He expressed his “respect, admiration, and friendship” for the Italian leader.

Key points from the foreword include:

• Praise for Leadership: Modi lauded Meloni as a “patriot and outstanding contemporary leader,” highlighting her inspiring and historic journey.
• Shared Values: He noted that her belief in defending one’s cultural heritage while engaging with the world “on equal terms, mirrors our own values”.
• Nari Shakti: Modi drew a connection between Meloni’s story and the Indian concept of Nari Shakti (divine feminine energy), a theme of women’s power that he said resonates deeply in India.
• Deepening Ties: He mentioned that the two nations are bound by “much more than treaties or trade,” and that the book would enrich the understanding between India and Italy.

Context

Writing a foreword for a foreign leader’s book is considered a rare and significant diplomatic gesture. Prior to this, Modi had primarily written forewords for books by Indian personalities, such as Hema Malini’s biography in 2017.

The gesture highlights the growing personal chemistry and strong bilateral relationship between the two leaders, often referred to by the social media hashtag #Melodi, which gained popularity after a selfie they took at the COP28 summit in Dubai in 2023.