Italy fears German-free summer after Schroeder cancels

Italy was tonight braced for a German summer boycott after Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder cancelled his holiday in pique over an attack on his countrymen abroad.

It was the move Italian resorts feared.

Towns from the Amalfi coast to the Alps had offered their hospitality to Schroeder, concerned that the dispute might persuade millions of big-spending Germans to holiday elsewhere this year.

Schroeder, his wife Doris and daughter Clara were to leave next weekend for the Marche region of central Italy.

He changed his plans today after an official in Silvio Berlusconi’s government branded German tourists “hyper-nationalist” arrogant blondes.

The Chancellor decided that the on-going flap between Italy and Germany would make it hard for his family to have a restful and quiet holiday, said his spokesman Bela Anda.

“The family will therefore spend its vacation together at home in Hanover,” Anda said.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said he was ”sorry” to learn of Schroeder’s decision.

“For me, the incident was closed two days ago,” he said. “Regardless, I’ll continue to go to Germany.”

The German government had welcomed a scramble by Italian ministers to distance themselves from the remarks last week by Stefano Stefani, an under-secretary in the Industry Ministry responsible for tourism.

Two senior German ministers stoked the spat further today by urging the Italian government to fire Stefani.

“If I was the leader of the Italian government, this man would no longer be in office,” said Interior Minister Otto Schily.

Schily, who owns a house in Tuscany, said he had yet to decide whether he would holiday in Italy this year, and said many German tourists could head for the Croatian coast, Spain or France instead.

Economics Minister Wolfgang Clement said Stefani should be “taken out of circulation.”

The row has soured German-Italian relations anew after Prime Minister Berlusconi last week told a German MEP that he would make a ”perfect” Nazi concentration camp guard.

The German media had urged Schroeder to cancel his holiday.

“Chancellor, stay strong: No Bella Italia!” said newspaper Bild, asking Schroeder to take his holiday in Germany – which, it said, “is not only beautiful but also much cheaper.”