Italian president touches down in Shannon Airport ahead of European Elections
Mattarella is in Ireland for a short visit
The President of the Italian Republic touched down at Shannon Airport for a short visit ahead of the European Elections.
Sergio Mattarella arrived in Shannon on Sunday, May 19 accompanied by his daughter, Laura Mattarella, for a short visit in Ireland.
Paul Kavanagh, Chief of Protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ruggero Corrias, the Ambassador of Italy to Ireland, the Ambassador’s wife, Vania Lorenzo and Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group welcomed the President to Ireland.
Speaking ahead of the European elections at a lunch hosted by Michael D Higgins, Mattarella said: "Ireland is perhaps the most successful example of life in the European Union which ranks it in the top group in terms of per capita income of its citizens. Today, a few days before the European elections, the example of your country is a powerful message for those who still hesitate to recognize the benefits that individual countries derive from belonging to the European Union".
President Mattarella is the longest-serving president in the history of the Italian Republic, having been first elected in 2015.