Meet Signor Meloni - Italy's first woman PM wants to be 'Mr President'

The right-wing Meloni angered feminists when she announced she would use the masculine form of her official title

Leader of Brothers of Italy Giorgia Meloni waves at the party's election night headquarters, in Rome, Italy Sept 26, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

Italy's first woman prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, wants to be called "mister", a government circular showed on Friday.

The right-wing Meloni, who took office last weekend after victory at a Sept 25 election, had already angered feminists when she announced she would use the masculine form of her official title: the president of the council of ministers.

In Italian, names can take a masculine or feminine form and Meloni's title was preceded by the masculine article "il", rather than the feminine "la", in the first statement issued by her office on Sunday.

Now she has gone a step further, by declaring her official title should also include "Signor", or Mister.

"The title to be used is ... Mr President of the Council of Ministers," said the circular issued by her office and distributed to all government ministries.

While Meloni's rise to power shattered a glass ceiling for Italy's women politicians, she is not known as a feminist.

She opposes female quotas in boardrooms and parliament, arguing that women should rise to the top through merit, and appointed just six women to her 24-strong cabinet.

Among those who will have to get used to Meloni's desired title is the head of state Sergio Mattarella, who formally appointed her to her new role.

Mattarella's palace used the feminine form "la" in referring to her when it announced she had been sworn in on Saturday.