Italy's six months in charge of the European Union has begun with a ferocious row in the European Parliament over a Nazi jibe directed by Mr Silvio Berlusconi at a German MEP.
The row continued last night when the German government asked to speak to the Italian ambassador and told him Mr Berlusconi's comments were "unacceptable". The Italian Foreign Ministry then summoned the German ambassador to complain about the German MEP's behaviour.
The Italian prime minister was in Strasbourg yesterday morning to outline his country's priorities for the EU presidency but a number of MEPs used the occasion to criticise Mr Berlusconi's record in office.
When the German social democrat, Mr Martin Schulz, attacked the Italian prime minister's governing style, Mr Berlusconi suggested that the MEP could play the role of a Kapo, or guard, in a concentration camp.
"I know there is in Italy a man producing a film on the Nazi concentration camps. I would like to suggest you for the role of Kapo. You'd be perfect," Mr Berlusconi said.
MEPs booed, jeered and banged their desks in protest at the remark but the prime minister declined to withdraw it, despite an invitation to do so from the President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox.
"I regret the offence caused to a respected member, my colleague Mr Schulz. It would be appropriate to correct the record in this regard," Mr Cox said.
Mr Berlusconi said at a press conference later that he had not intended to cause offence and described his remark as an ironic joke inspired by the German MEP's tone and gestures.
"My joke wasn't meant to be offensive. It was an ironic joke, perhaps the translation wasn't done in an ironic sense," he said.
Mr Berlusconi's outburst drew criticism from across the political spectrum, even from his deputy prime minister, Mr Gianfranco Fini. Mr Fini, who leads the "post-fascist" Allianza Nazionale, said that the prime minister had allowed Mr Schulz to provoke him.
"No accusation, not even the most partisan, can justify the epithet Nazi commander for a political adversary. From a human point of view, I understand, but I do not share his stubbornness in defending his words. It would have been much better to apologise," Mr Fini said.
Mr Roberto Calderoni, a member of the far-right Lega Nord, Mr Berlusconi's second coalition partner, defended the prime minister's statement. "The cannonball fired by Mr Berlusconi against Mr Schulz makes me very happy. At last, someone is speaking plainly to these left-wingers. This is how we will create respect again," he said.
Earlier, Mr Berlusconi said that he would make the quest for peace in the Middle East a priority during the Italian presidency. He said that the EU must try to earn greater trust from Israel while supporting the Palestinian economy and he proposed Sicily as a venue for an international conference on the issue. "Our presidency, along with the United States, the Russian Federation and the United Nations will work to support the road map," he said.
