Taking a cue from the title of his own radio broadcast, this is how Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the central theme of the autobiography of his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni in his foreword for the book’s Indian edition, which will be launched soon.
Modi also wrote that it has been a “great” honour for him to have written the foreword and that he was doing so with “respect, admiration and friendship” for Meloni whom he considers a “patriot and outstanding contemporary leader”.
In the foreword for I am Giorgia — My Roots, My Principles (Rupa Publications), Modi recalled how in the past 11 years he has interacted with many world leaders, each with a different life journey and how their journeys transcend personal stories and speak to something larger.
“Prime Minister Meloni’s life and leadership remind us of these timeless truths… It will be well received (in India) as a refreshing story of an outstanding contemporary political leader and a patriot… Her belief in defending one’s cultural heritage, while engaging with the world on equal terms, mirrors our own values,” Modi wrote.
Italian PM’s book mirrors our own values: Modi
Modi also heaped encomiums on Meloni and mentioned more than once how her “inspiring and historic” journey resonated deeply with Indians — and how it was sure to resonate with Indian readers as well.
As far as popular political autobiographies go, this one is already an acknowledged bestseller. The original version was written in 2021 when Meloni was an opposition leader in Italy. She went on to become the country’s first woman prime minister a year later.
In June 2025, the book’s US edition was launched with a brief foreword from Donald Trump Jr, the US President’s eldest son. He alluded twice to Meloni’s “working class” background, and called the memoir an “unfiltered story of the patriotic tidal wave that Meloni would ride”.
The travails — and sometimes trauma — of womanhood had been a theme in Meloni’s pre-election speeches.“I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am Italian, I am Christian. You can’t take that away from me,” was her rallying cry. Her memoir is sprinkled with anecdotes about a smear campaign run against her — because she was a woman; an unmarried mother; and did not shy away from political activity when she was pregnant.
Meloni wrote: “I’ve never believed that a woman should enter politics, solely to represent women. Politics is for everyone — for the common good… If someone like me, with my privileges, was being told to step aside because I was expecting a baby, what chance did a pregnant young woman have with a temp job in a call centre? …I wanted to prove that children are not a limitation — In fact, they help us overcome limitations.”
Modi has picked up this central theme of the celebration of womanhood in his foreword for the book which he described as a “deeply personal” autobiographical account. He applauded Meloni for defending “motherhood, national identity and tradition”, and wrote about how India and Italy were bound by much more than treaties and trade.
His tribute: “We are bound by shared civilizational instincts like the defence of heritage, the strength of community and the celebration of womanhood as a guiding force. Our nations are joined in spirit by a respect for tradition and an embrace of modernity. This is the bedrock of my own personal friendship with Prime Minister Meloni…”
Ties between India and Italy improved significantly after Meloni paid a state visit to India in March 2023, months after her election win in September 2022 — the first high-level visit from Italy after a gap of five years. A major outcome was the elevation of the bilateral relationship to the level of Strategic Partnership.
In late 2023, the hashtag #Melodi trended widely on social media, after Modi responded to a post on X by Meloni. Meloni had posted a selfie with Modi, taken on the sidelines of the COP28 meet in Dubai, saying “Good friends at COP28”. Meloni also added #Melodi, a combination of the two leaders’ names.
Modi reposted the picture, writing: “Meeting friends is always a delight.”
