Berlusconi denies apologising for Nazi remark
He said he had merely said he was sorry that his “joke” likening a German MP to a Nazi concentration camp guard had been misunderstood.
At a news conference in Rome after hosting his first European Commission meeting, Mr Berlusconi stressed that he was the one who had been offended by an exchange in the European Parliament with Martin Schulz.
“I have not made any apology as far as the case of the German lawmaker is concerned,” he said. “On the contrary, I have underlined strongly that I felt offended for the grave words that had been directed not only toward me but toward my country.
“I have added that if anybody interpreted what was meant as an ironic joke as damage to a deep feeling of a country, I was very sorry. But I have not apologised.”
Germany had declared its spat with Italy over after Chancellor Gerhard Schoeder spoke with Mr Berlusconi. German officials said Berlusconi had apologised.
Asked about Mr Berlusconi’s comments, a German government spokesman referred to remarks earlier by Mr Schroeder’s spokesman, Bela Anda, who said Mr Berlusconi had clearly “expressed regret” over the remark. “This was generally viewed as an apology and I think rightly so, and everything else is a semantic consideration that I won’t get involved in.”
Mr Berlusconi was also asked if he would apologise to the European Parliament, as has been suggested by the body’s conservative vice president, and indicated he would not. Mr Berlusconi said he had expressed “profound appreciation, profound respect” for the European Parliament, but said he had been offended as its guest.
Schulz yesterday called on Berlusconi to apologise to the European Parliament, but said he had no intention of apologising for his own comments that prompted the outburst.
David Harley, spokesman for European President Pat Cox, said Mr Berlusconi should provide “clarification of those comments directly to the parliament”.
