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Rumours fly that Berlusconi insulted Merkel's figure on phone
Published: 15 Sep 11 07:05 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20110915-37599.html
Italy's gaffe-prone Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi appears to have insulted German Chancellor Angela Merkel using a vulgar phrase about her figure during a recent phone call.
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Although the recording has not been released so the exact phrase Berlusconi used is unclear, it is said to be extremely insulting and concern Merkel’s physique.
Italian MP Rocco Buttiglione brought the gossip out of selected newspaper columns and into the open this week, according to Bild newspaper.
He told parliament: “If the rumours are true, which are not only circulating in journalist circles but also in parliament, that the Prime Minister has spoken about Merkel in an unspeakable, unpronounceable, unacceptable way, the situation would be dramatic. Someone who has reached out their hand to us would be spat at in the face.”
He said the rumours were already causing damage to German and Italian relations.
Berlusconi has already faced domestic outrage over the phone call for allegedly calling Italy a “shit country” that he planned to leave soon.
Merkel and Berlusconi have had public mishaps in dealing with each other in the past, with one example mentioned by Bild being in 2009 when Berlusconi arrived in Germany for a Nato conference. He got out of his car while on the phone and ignored Merkel, walking past her still talking on the phone.
Germany has been complaining that Italy is not doing enough to stem Europe’s brewing sovereign debt crisis and the countries clashed recently over reparations for victims of World War II.
The Italian practice of giving economic migrants from Tunisia travel documents, and effectively sending them elsewhere in Europe has also proved unpopular among the country’s neighbours.
The Local/mdm
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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Your comments about this article:
If anyone is interested in the economics side of it, the passing of Italy's austerity plan yesterday (14 Sept.), the riots in Rome and the impact of Italy requesting loans from the US to meet debts then I suggest reading elsewhere.
And for what it's worth, Germany does have a right to angry about how the other eurozone nations are handling the financial crisis -- and that old pervert should have the good sense to keep his mouth shut.
Please understand that half of the italian population, especially young people, hate this character from the bottom of its heart and that entire political parties today sitting in parliament have born out of opposition against him. A major opposition party is lead by a magistrate who tried to put him in jail back in 1993 and has a growing consensus.
The only positive side of this economic crisis is that people in his same coalition are for the first time thinking of dumping him and that he probably won't resist more than 5-6 months in power. Some analysts say that simply by resigning Berlusconi would make italian bond spread on german state bonds reduce structurally of 50 basic points.