Posted on 08/08/2003 7:00:18 PM PDT by schaketo
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has cancelled his Italian summer holiday after a minister in Silvio Berlusconi’s government labelled German tourists "hyper-nationalistic blondes”. Leon Mangasarian looks at what is fast developing into a major diplomatic row.
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Wednesday elevated an Italian official's scathing remarks about German tourists to the level of a diplomatic row by abruptly cancelling a planned vacation to Italy.
Schroeder made the move after Italian government under-secretary Stefano Stefani refused to apologise for referring to German tourists as "stereotyped blondes with a hyper-nationalist pride."
Following days of speculation over Schroeder's holiday plans, a three-sentence statement was issued by the Chancellery.
"The family will therefore spend its vacation at home in Hanover," said Schroeder's chief spokesman, Bela Anda.
Anda said this was to ensure a proper holiday without disruptions.
Ironically, Stefani is supposed promote tourism for his country. The Chancellor would have been one of about 10 million Germans who visit Italy each year.
Stefani, a member of the rightist Northern League which serves in Rome's government, made his remarks in a commentary last week in the party's newspaper, La Padania.
He branded Germans as people "that have been indoctrinated to feel first in the class" and who "noisily invade our beaches." Sticking in the knife, he added that Germans grew up engaged in "belching competitions after drinking enormous amounts of beer."
For Schroeder, the vacation issue became a political hot potato when Bild newspaper — Germany's biggest-selling tabloid — shrilly began demanding the Chancellor cancel his trip.
Bild is a highly influential opinion-maker. Schroeder's Social Democrats (SPD) are slowly recovering from record lows in the polls, and axing the trip seems a sure move to win votes — at least at the populist level.
Schroeder's centre-left SPD is already mocked by some as Germany's "Tuscany faction" for its leaders' love of Italian high life. Thus, going ahead with an Italian holiday after the row would have posed big political risks.
The row between Rome and Berlin comes only days after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi created uproar by likening a German member of the European parliament to a Nazi concentration camp functionary.
Berlusconi later phoned Schroeder and expressed "regret" over the incident.
A relieved Schroeder hastily called a news conference to announce the affair was closed as far as Berlin was concerned.
But after Schroeder spokesman Anda issued a statement claiming the Italian leader had apologised there was a bombshell from Rome.
The Italian leader theatrically declared he had not and would not apologise. Gritting their teeth in rage, Anda and other German officials maintained the dispute was dead and buried.
Anda stressed that with Italy now holding the rotating European Union presidency, Berlin was eager to avoid acrimony which could slow efforts to hammer out a new constitution for the bloc by the end of the year.
But Stefani's outburst — which German Economics and Labour superminister Wolfgang Clement declared could not be beat for sheer "idiocy" — proved one blow too many from Rome and Schroeder cancelled his vacation in central Italy which had been due to begin July 20.
The question is now whether the row will torpedo already wobbly relations between Schroeder and Berlusconi.
Prior to Berlusconi's 2001 election, Schroeder warned that if Berlusconi brought the Italian far right into government the European Union would have to impose a diplomatic boycott on Rome similar to that temporarily placed on Austria after the rightist Freedom Party was brought into power.
Nothing came of this threat but Berlusconi was furious.
Earlier this year Berlusconi joined a group of 18 European nations which signed letters backing the United States in its war with Iraq — a more which greatly angered Germany and France which both strongly opposed the war.
Still, personal relations between both leaders had reportedly become better and officials said Schroeder found it easier to deal with Berlusconi than with other conservatives such as Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
However, one wag in Berlin put Schroeder's apparent warmer ties to Berlusconi down to more superficial reasons of vanity.
The Chancellor came to like Berlusconi because the Italian premier was one of the few world leaders who was not taller than he was, said a close observer of Berlin's political scene who asked not to be named.
Maybe he can get a job with the French. It would be a step up from Woody Allen, not nearly as insulting.
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