July 03, 2003

Berlusconi urged to apologise over 'Nazi' jibe

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is under mounting pressure to apologise over the "Nazi" jibe which has stunned Europe.

Mr Berlusconi caused uproar in the European Parliament when he compared a German Euro-MP to a concentration camp commandant. Euro MPs on all political sides condemned the attack, warning it went beyond a personal insult and had plunged the European Union into crisis.

Gerhard Schröder, the German Chancellor, called in the Italian ambassador. The two leaders are to talk later today to discuss Mr Berlusconi's comment. Mr Schröder said the comments were "completely unacceptable" and called on Mr Berlusconi to make a full apology.

Mr Berlusconi insisted he had nothing to apologise for. After leaving the European Parliament chamber he shrugged the spat off as a "stupid side issue", declaring: "If people are not able to understand irony, I am very sorry, that's too bad, but I am not withdrawing what I said with irony."

He intended just to outline Italy's policy agenda priorities, but some Euro-MPs used the occasion to criticise Mr Berlusconi's personal power and his "undemocratic" grip on the Italian media.

After a relatively mild remark from German Socialist Martin Schulz that Mr Berlusconi lost his cool.
[As a matter of fact, this Schultz clown called him the "Godfather" of the EU.--Jen]

After listening quietly to Mr Schulz suggest he should take responsibility for the outspoken remarks of his ministers, particularly over immigration, Mr Berlusconi responded: "Mr Schulz, I know that there is in Italy a producer producing a film on Nazi concentration camps. I would like to suggest you for the role of commandant. You would be perfect for that role."

Last night Mr Schulz said he did not take the insult personally but it had been "inappropriate" for the leader of a country with Italy's fascist history to make such a remark..

And yet Herr Schultz doesn't bother to acknowledge Deutschland's own unfortunate "fascist history" which cost 12 million people their lives (and those were only the ones killed in the death camps).
Berlusconi has clearly broken the unwritten law which is to mention in any way the sad histoire of not so very long ago of "old Europe."
I love Silvio! (And they talk about him with derision getting immunity from trial for corruption as if he were so egregiously wrong, when I think it's the very reason that Chirac ran for the presidency in France!
And Schroeder's no choir boy either!
Isn't it conceivable that this Schultz's father or grandfather was in the Nazi party, if they weren't a camp commandant?)
One of the main planks of Berlusconi's platform as the new EU President was to heal the EU's rift with the U.S.!
And, of course, the weasel powers don't care for that one bit.
And only a few weeks ago, when Maitre-D Diplo-Frog Dominique de VILEpin tried to upbraid Berlusconi for refusing to meet with Arafat when he visited Israel, here's Silvio's response:
"Berlusconi's immunity"

[...]
After what it calls "critical remarks" by French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin over the Italian leader's refusal to meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a visit to Israel, Le Monde says Mr Berlusconi's response was to comment that France had "lost a good opportunity to shut up".

I love it!
You know what Silvio's referring to here, yes?
Chirac's now famous chiding of pro-American EU members and future members at their dinner this spring, where he told the New Europeans backing our war in Iraq to "shut up!"
The divide is growing daily between Old Europe and New Europe and I guess America is to blame--or thank!
While L'Italia may be technically in Old Europe, she is willing to acknowledge the error of her past ways (like Mussolini and being in bed with radical jihadi Muslims) and act boldly and rightly in the here and now.
To Senore Berlusconi, I can only say, BRAVO!
(And watch the weasel powers try and use his "misbehavior" as an excuse for having a single, non-rotating Leftist toady like Chirac as the permanent head of the EUnuchs.
Fourth Reich, here the weasels come and God help us all!)
Lest we forget, Rome had an empire for many, many years longer than either France or Britain and most definitely longer than Germany's Dritten Reich...and what a glorious empire it was.
Viva L'Italia! Viva Berlusconi! Viva New Europe!