Malpensa Is Renamed After Berlusconi, and the Row Reaches Rome

Milan's Malpensa airport was officially named after Silvio Berlusconi in a ceremony on Friday, according to The Local Italy, which reported that the change honours the former prime minister and billionaire and has drawn criticism from local and national politicians. The paper described Berlusconi as 'scandal-plagued', a characterisation that sits at the centre of the objection.

The renaming converts a piece of transport infrastructure into a political statement. Airports are named after figures a state has decided to canonise — the choice is normally reserved for the uncontested — and Malpensa handles a substantial share of Italy's long-haul traffic, meaning the name will be read by arriving foreign visitors before they reach the city.

Criticism from elected officials at both levels, as reported by The Local Italy, suggests the decision was contested rather than ceremonial. The paper did not record the specific arguments made, only that the move was criticised, and it named no individual objectors.