Obama, at his last state dinner, and Matteo Renzi discuss tumultuous politics in both countries.
A glittering state dinner, the last hosted by the couple Barack and Michelle Obama, paid tribute to Italy and its Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, on Tuesday night (18).
Accompanied by his wife, Agnese Landini, the premier was received with all possible honors at the White House, after being intensely praised by the President of the United States during a joint press conference in the morning.
The dinner had 375 guests and was prepared by American chef Mario Batali, to the alternative rock sound of Gwen Stefani. “Don't worry about how we're dressed, they're only interested in women's dresses,” Obama joked as he greeted Renzi, dressed in an Armani tuxedo to pay homage to one of the guests of honor, designer Giorgio Armani.
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“I'm here because I have great admiration for the Obamas, they are two extraordinary and unique people,” said actor and director Roberto Benigni, one of the Italian prime minister's main allies in the artistic world. But he wasn't the only Oscar winner at the dinner, which was also attended by filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino.
And the list of illustrious Italians in the White House didn't stop there: Bebe Vio, Paralympic fencing champion at the Rio 2016 Games; John Elkann, president of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA); Fabrizio Freda, CEO of Estée Lauder; and Giusi Nicolini, mayor of Lampedusa, the city that serves as a gateway for illegal immigrants to Italy and Europe.
Obama, Renzi and their wives greeted guests one by one before sitting down to enjoy a menu of Italian flavors: sweet potato agnolotti, pumpkin salad with New York pecorino and braciola.
“Once I was the young one, now it’s him [Renzi]. I value your optimism, your energy and your vision,” said the host during the toast. “Agnese told how her t-shirts and shirts were baggy, an affront to Italian fashion. Giorgio Armani, who is here, would be embarrassed,” she joked.
The premier thanked him for the “great honor” of being received at the White House and compared Obama to a “master of the Renaissance”.
“I've always been a fan of Obama, since his first speech in 2007. But in the end, after listening to Michelle's speeches during the election campaign, I found someone on the same level.
I think your speeches are better than your tomatoes”, joked Renzi, mentioning the vegetable garden cultivated by the first lady.
The president's invitation to the prime minister can be evaluated from two points of view. From the inside, it strengthens Renzi on the eve of the constitutional referendum on December 4, when Italians will decide whether or not to approve his political reform.
Obama has already said that a “yes” would help Italy, but polls show a divided population.
Externally, it strengthens the premier within the European Union, which is going through an unprecedented crisis, with the imminent departure of one of its main members, the United Kingdom, economic turmoil and the migration emergency. “Matteo represents a new generation of leaders not only in Italy, but in the European Union and the world,” Obama said.
By ANSA
