‘Want to vote for Putin in Italy? Now you can!’ Russian President’s namesake pushing into politics
Italians living in the Veneto region could soon get their own Putin. No, the Russian president has not suddenly decided to downshift and change countries. This Putin is a glamorous local political upstart.
Adelina Putin is a radio personality and disc jockey planning to
take part in the local council elections next week. She
represents the right-wing party Brothers of Italy.
She also claims to be Vladimir Putin’s cousin. “We are
distant cousins,” she told Italy’s Raid Radio2. “I’ve
always loved my surname, but I’ve liked it even more since
Vladimir came on the scene. My relatives and I have discovered
lots of links with him,” she said in an interview with Il
Giornale.
Whether relatives or namesakes, the two do share some
similarities. Vladimir Putin is often seen with a gun at firing
ranges or firearms exhibitions, and Adelina’s social media pages
are filled with photographs of her wielding pistols, assault
weapons, and sniper rifles.
Фото опубликовано Putin Adelina (@adeputin) Май 12 2015 в 1:49 PDT
Both also like to show-off their athleticism. Vladimir Putin is a black belt judo master and is also known for photographs of him swimming, fishing or horseback riding sans shirt. Adelina is a bodybuilder, and never too shy to take a bikini snap. Unlike the Russian president, however, she is tattooed all over.
The Italian upstart has provided no proof that she shares any blood with Vladimir Putin, but she was quick to capitalize on their common name in her campaign slogan: “Want to vote Putin? Now you can!”
A photo posted by Putin Adelina (@adeputin) on Apr 29, 2015 at 9:44am PDT
Adelina says Italy needs a Putin – preferably more than one.
“I appreciate his character, that of a true leader. In Italy,
we are in real need of Putin, a man or woman of his
caliber,” she told Il Giornale. “One Putin will not be
enough; at least seven will be needed to heal the wounds of the
last 40 years of Italy’s history.”
She also said she is not fazed with Putin’s portrayal in the West
as a harsh and authoritarian leader: “He can seem like a
dictator, but as far as I’m concerned, he is just a great
man.”
