Euro-MPs demand new apology from Burlusconi

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi remained under pressure today to apologise to the European Parliament over his “Nazi” gaffe.

The Italian leader apologised to German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in a brief phone call from Rome to Berlin, ending the row as far as Mr Schroeder was concerned.

But furious Euro-MPs say that is not good enough. They want an apology addressed to the entire European Parliament, which was stunned by Mr Berlusconi’s outburst on Wednesday.

The exchange was probably enough to ease the tension sufficiently ahead of today’s meeting in Rome between Mr Berlusconi and all of the European Commissioners – a ritual engagement at the start of each EU member state’s six-month turn holding the EU presidency.

The Italian leader suggested one of his hecklers would be a good choice to play a Nazi concentration camp guard in a forthcoming film.

The target of his jibe, German socialist MEP Martin Schulz, says he is not interested in a personal apology from the Italian leader.

But he does expect an apology extended to the parliament itself.

And the leader of Britain’s Labour MEPs, Gary Titley said: “Our message for Berlusconi is that this parliament must get the clear and unambiguous apology it deserves.”

Mr Berlusconi told Mr Schroeder over the phone that he regretted choosing the “expression and comparison” when he tried to bat away Mr Schulz’s heckling with a joke.