Italian resort to sue Berlusconi after Schroeder's cancellation

drudgereport ^ | 07/09/03 | Matt Drudge

[Pikamax]

Italian resort to sue Berlusconi after Schroeder's cancellation WED Jul 09 2003 11:18:12 ET

Pesaro, Italy (dpa) - Local authorities in Pesaro said Wednesday they were considering suing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for damages as a result of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's decision to cancel a planned trip to the Italian resort.

Palmiro Ucchielli, who heads the Pesaro provincial government, in central Italy, told the news agency Ansa that the Berlusconi government had caused ``enormous economic'' damage to the province.

``We are now considering whether to sue (Berlusconi) for damages,'' Ucchielli was quoted as saying.

Schroeder announced Wednesday he would be cancelling his holiday to Pesaro after a government under-secretary, Stefano Stefani, refused to apologise for describing German tourists as ``stereotyped blondes with a hyper-nationalist pride''.

The German chancellor had planned to stay with a long-time Italian friend, artist Bruno Bruni.

Up to 10 million German tourists visit Italy each year. Many of them travel to Italy's Adriatic Riviera, not far from Pesaro.

Stefani, who is responsible for tourism in the Berlusconi government, had criticised Germany following a spat in the European parliament involving Italy's premier and a critical MEP from Germany.

On Wednesday, Italian opposition leaders joined several German cabinet members in demanding that Stefani step down from his post.

Italy took over the rotating presidency of the European Union (E.U.) on July 1 and there are fears that the acrimony will hamper efforts to hammer out a new constitution by the end of the year.

[mtbopfuyn]

Following that line of thinking we should do some name calling to stop illegals from visiting us.

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[Norse]

I have a better idea - Italians should storm this guy's business and burn it to the ground for selling out his country to German socialist nazis if he goes along with the lawsuit

[MissouriForBush]

In your little world, it is just perfect for Leftist Germans to trash anyone who doesn't agree with them or doesn't fit their politically correct view of the world. But woe to those who make an ironic joke from the opposite side of the spectrum. The flap over Berlusconi's comments are "much ado about nothing."

In your little world, it's OK for Germans to call Americans Nazis point-blank...

In your little world, ice is a substitute for passion in your veins...

[Cicero]

Did Schroeder put down a deposit or agree to a contract? Then he should pay for the cancellation.

[eleni121]

So Schroeder is canceling his vacation plans in Italy...because of a hissy fit over Berlusconi's ---what self righteous arrogant snobs Germans are!

Suggestion for Schroeder: Take your 30 day paid vacation and shove it!

[Schweinhund]

simply read the article before writing...


quote:
Schroeder's decision Wednesday comes after junior Italian tourist minister Stefano Stefani refused to apologize for his reference to German tourists as "stereotyped blondes with a hyper-nationalist pride" who were invading Italian beaches.

source:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/07/09/italy.schroeder.vacation/index.html

isn't the alleged snootyness of europeans the reason that many americans don't visit our continent? what would you do if a european TOURIST MINISTER said such things about the US?

besides, most of our stereotyped blondes with a hyper-nationalist pride visit mallorca, spain to meet their english counterparts. italy gets the middle class teacher families.

[eleni121]

As i understand from your posting you are German perhaps and a little ticked off by Stefani's remarks? Well, the remarks are absolutely truthful in describing German tourists in general. I have been in a position many times to be horribly amazed by the arrogant, pushy behavior of Germans when they visit the "Southern" regions of Europe. As Crusaders they were inefficient and bombastic (not to mention quite ineffective) and as tourists in the 21st century they are not much different.

what would you do if a european TOURIST MINISTER said such things about the US?

I could care less what a Euro says about anything much less the greatest nation in history. As far as I am concerned the best and brightest Euros have already made their home here in the US. The rest can stay there and stew...

[Schweinhund]

"As i understand from your posting you are German perhaps and a little ticked off by Stefani's remarks?"

Stefani's remarks don't tick me off, they strike me as stupid because the Italian Tourism Industry quite depends on the 40% German Tourists per year. When a Tourist Minister fails that miserably in his job, one should perhaps think twice before spending government money to fill a post that does the opposite of what it is designed to do. It's like a defense minister inviting the 'hadJi flightshow' to New York.

See, I could easily dig up enough Anti-American stereotypes to make you stop the discussion, but as i see it personal opinion without factual backing is no basis for discussion in general and only quite narrow-minded people use it, so i will relate to your post.

"I have been in a position many times to be horribly amazed by the arrogant, pushy behavior of Germans when they visit the "Southern" regions of Europe. As Crusaders they were inefficient and bombastic (not to mention quite ineffective) and as tourists in the 21st century they are not much different."

Arrogance, pushyness and unbacked provocation will now surely be glad to be used by a more able person, but I'll try to at least keep the adjective out of my post. I have been in a position to be horribly amazed by not only the arrogant, pushy behavior of my German countrymen but equally of Brits, Americans, Italians and the French. As a silent agreement tells to add up only the disgusting manners of SOME people and make them fit their country standard while others can misbehave as they want and are still seen as an exception to their country in general.

So the anti-germanism I encounter almost daily does not amaze me a great deal. What really amazes me is the reaction regarding this affair, especially by Americans. From your foreign politics and the way you present yourself in the media I got the impression the American Ideal Behaviour is so straight.

What do you see as unjustified about the order of events?

1. The Italian Tourist Minister verbally attacks German Tourists

2. The German Chancellor cancels his Italy Holiday

Isn't that the logical thing to do? What else could the Italian Politician have wanted and expected to archieve with his remarks?

"I could care less what a Euro says about anything much less the greatest nation in history. As far as I am concerned the best and brightest Euros have already made their home here in the US. The rest can stay there and stew... "

Now i exactly know what you mean with 'arrogant'. I wonder what the article would have been called if the German Chancellor had answered something like that to Stefani.

By the way: I have read your 'greatest nation in the world, clever Euros are Americans' text a number of times written by a number of people on this board. One could get the impression that single-minded pushy arrogance is a typical american trait.

[MissouriForBush]

Have you ever seen the British cartoon of a beach towel floating in outer space? In it, one astronaut, pointing to the towel drifting outside his space capsule, says to another astronaut: "Germans!"

I had to laugh, because your fellow countrymen have no sense of "fair play" at Caribbean resorts when it comes to claiming the choicest lounge-chairs on the beach by "staking your claim" -- tossing your beach towels on them early in the morning and then sauntering back hours later whenever it suits you to "claim" the chair. It does strike us non-Teutonics as bombastic and arrogant behavior, especially when some pushy German man herds a petite woman from the Southern USA off HIS chair because the poor woman didn´t realize the German rules of the game. (A Southern gentleman would NEVER behave like that.)

As you may already guess, I am from the British/American school of "fair play" and prefer the "first come, first serve" approach.

But seeing as I am in Germany for a few weeks while I write this, I can assure you that I will steer clear of the choice seating locations on your river and lake beaches!

[eleni121]

Germans are what they are: arrogant, pushy, complex - ridden Euros.

Deal with it!

[Schweinhund]

"A Southern gentleman would NEVER behave like that."

I hope you don't expect me to tell you that the Teutonic League of Gentlemen sees herding women from lounge-chairs as commendable behaviour.
The more I come to think about it, the more I suppose your holiday acquaintance, if asked, would have had to use a dictionary to come up with the meaning of the word 'gentleman'.

Even though I have never spent my holiday in a ressort (because they have been either too filled with my people (spain) or too expensive (the carribean)), I believe your story without hesitation.

But I disagree with the word 'arrogant' to describe this behaviour. As I see it, arrogance needs a certain consideration of the thoughts and feelings of the person you communicate with, some intelligence used in the process.

I would call it 'social stupidity' or something like that and I readily admit that it is a far greater flaw than simple arrogance.

The Germanturks have a standard insult for the average German: 'Kartoffel' (potato). As food, it just bleakly serves its purpose.

...at least when cooked by an amateur, my mother had this special recipe.

I hope your time in Germany will be a pleasant one. If you'd like tips what not to miss during your stay, just tell me what region you are visiting. And if you stay in a hotel, you could towel them...but who knows whether they'd get the joke.

[Michael81Dus]

And you don´t call yourself arrogant, do you?

[Schweinhund]

I am just amused by how you draw this conclusion in a case where the style of Germany's politic reaction matches the general American one to about hundred percent. Or did the 'German' in the headline suffice to switch on your opinion bot?

Some go down while shadow boxing...

[eleni121]

Let me be perfectly blunt: Schroeder's petulant,ARROGANT, childish behavior registers approval by millions of Germans, I suppose including you! His antics display a grossly hysterical over reaction to the Italian's comments. Do we have similar types of pompous asses in America? Sure we do.

If you wish to continue debating the merits and demerits of Herr Schroeder be my guest but leave me out of it. I and many others still deal with the fact that our parents' and grandparents' lives were turned upside down and destroyed by Germanic peoples. I have no use for maintaining this discussion with anyone who would support this hilarious but dangerous fool Schroeder.

[Schweinhund]

"Let me be perfectly blunt: Schroeder's petulant,ARROGANT, childish behavior registers approval by millions of Germans, I suppose including you!"

Right, because it's the fitting answer to Stefani's petulant, ARROGANT, childish behavior. Even in politics, you don't have to take every bullshit. The holiday action is a good message without playing all this too far up in the politics. People who stop buying french wine everytime there's a political difference should perhaps be a little easier about things like that.

"I and many others still deal with the fact that our parents' and grandparents' lives were turned upside down and destroyed by Germanic peoples"

I won't argue with you who suffered more or less, because using the war as a kind of discussion-winning tool the way you do is cheap and a disgrace to every victim of the war, whether it's your grandfathers or mine.
Should I feel guilty for something that happened 50 years before I was born? You can bet I'll give my life to ensure something like Hitler and Auschwitz won't happen again, but there is no guilt of the blood, that's a NAZI idea.

"I have no use for maintaining this discussion with anyone who would support this hilarious but dangerous fool Schroeder."

I have no use for maintaining this discussion with anyone who cannot make a difference between a person and his actions.