In Italy is likely to be the first woman to hold the highest government office. This would make the man on Giorgia Meloni’s side the first – what actually? Andrea Giambruno himself, a 41-year-old television journalist from Milan, was unable to answer this question in an interview with the newspaper “Corriere della Sera” on Wednesday. Of the three English-language terms offered, none seemed to convince him: First Husband? first gentleman? first partners? It all seems somehow inappropriate.
“No idea. I only know that there is no really suitable expression for the male equivalent of a First Lady,” Giambruno replied: “Maybe we’ll wait for a new entry in the Zingarelli.” – “Lo Zingarelli” is the Italian equivalent of the Duden. The expression “Primo Gentiluomo”, based on the First Gentleman, also sounds strange.
So far, Giorgia Meloni and her four-year-old partner Andrea Giambruno have taken their partnership and family life with their daughter Ginevra to the boulevard in sparing doses. There are calculated messages and photos of Meloni’s private life, from the beach and from the kitchen, in the various social media channels. Italy’s prime minister-elect and her communications team skilfully demonstrate them.
Met in the TV studio
After Sunday’s election triumph, Meloni posted a note on Instagram with daughter’s congratulations, in shaky capital letters by a child’s hand: “Dear mom! I’m so happy you won. I love you! Very much.” Compared to the “Corriere”, the obviously proud dad asserted that Ginevra wrote the note without fatherly help: “She did it all by herself. She is six years old but has been able to write for a year. Of course, she still can’t really grasp what happened. All she understands is that mom won something.”
Meloni and Giambruno have been a couple for nine years. They met in the television studio, during an interview for the talk show “Quinta Colonna” (Fifth Column) on the channel “Rete 4”, for which Giambruno was working as an editor at the time. The station belongs to the media empire of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Giambruno is currently moderating the program “Studio Aperto” on Berlusconi’s news channel “TGcom24”. It is questionable whether he will be able to continue this activity if his partner actually moves into the Palazzo Chigi, the official residence of the Italian prime ministers. There is much to suggest that Giambruno will fully slip into the role of “full-time father”.
On an earlier occasion, Giambruno reported how there were sparks when he and Meloni met for the first time in the studio. The politician appeared completely exhausted for the live interview and asked her assistant for a bite: “I haven’t eaten anything all day, I’ll soon faint from hunger.” The assistant then gave Meloni a banana, that’s all Edible in the studio. Seconds before the start of the live broadcast, Meloni was still holding the half-peeled banana. Giambruno, quick-witted, rushed over and snatched the banana from her. The politician was obviously grateful that she was spared the embarrassing TV appearance “Meloni mit Banana”.
