GERMANY: The war of words between Germany and Italy threatened to blow up again yesterday after the German MEP at the centre of the row said the Italian government was "racist", writes Derek Scally in Berlin.
Mr Martin Schulz, who Italian Prime Minister Mr Silvio Berlusconi likened to a Nazi concentration camp guard, added that he thought the Italian government practised "questionable judicial politics".
"The simple fact is that a racist government is in power in Italy," said Mr Schulz on German television on Sunday evening, alluding to the right-wing coalition partner, the Lega Nord.
Mr Schulz said it was his criticism of Lega Nord leader Mr Umberto Bossi that provoked Mr Berlusconi to make his Nazi remarks in the European Parliament two weeks ago.
"What made Berlusconi furious was what I said about Bossi . . . who is known for wanting to have refugee paddle boats from Africa shot at," said Mr Schulz. "I said: 'If you want to defend the human rights charter of the European Union then throw out this Minister \.' Then you could see that Berlusconi was boiling with rage."
Mr Berlusconi's subsequent outburst prompted outrage in Strasbourg and in Berlin. Chancellor Gerhard Schröder demanded, and received an apology, later qualified by Mr Berlusconi.
Mr Schulz said he felt the Italian leader's jibe at his expense was "quite calculated" to deflect attention from MEPs protesting in the chamber about the corruption charges facing Mr Berlusconi in Italy.
The week-long German-Italian row was only resolved last Friday after the forced resignation of a junior Italian Minister who described German tourists in Italy as "hyper nationalistic blondes" with a penchant for beer and belching contests.