Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is reportedly unlikely to accept an offer of honorary citizenship from Barletta, the southern Italian town where his father, Carlo Albanese, was born. The gesture, intended to honor the Prime Minister's Italian heritage, may be deemed unnecessary, as Albanese is already considered an Italian citizen by descent under Italian law.
Italian citizenship laws operate on the principle of jus sanguinis (right of blood), meaning that individuals born to Italian parents are automatically recognized as Italian citizens, regardless of their place of birth. In Albanese's case, his father’s Italian nationality confers upon him Italian citizenship from birth. The only remaining step would be a formal administrative acknowledgment, often referred to as "settlement" .
Albanese's connection to his Italian roots has been a significant aspect of his personal narrative. Raised in Sydney by his single mother, Maryanne Ellery, he grew up believing his father had died in a car accident. It wasn't until he was 14 that his mother revealed the truth—that his father was alive. Albanese met his father for the first time in 2009, during a visit to Italy .
While the honorary citizenship offer from Barletta is a symbolic gesture celebrating Albanese's heritage, his automatic Italian citizenship by descent renders the honorary title largely ceremonial. Given this context, it's unlikely that Prime Minister Albanese will pursue or formally accept the honorary citizenship from his father's hometown.
