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Italian Minister Smacks Weasel-in-Chief
ROME, June 17 â Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told France on Tuesday it should ''shut up'' about his Middle East policy, further straining relations with Paris just as Italy is preparing to take over the European Union presidency. ''They missed a good opportunity to shut up,'' Berlusconi told reporters in response to French criticism of his decision not to meet Palestinian leaders during a recent trip to Israel. Nice echo of Chirac telling the eastern European countries that they should shut up. French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin (who is a man [tm LGF])said this week that Berlusconi had ''not satisfied the European position'' by holding talks only with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during his June 9 visit to Jerusalem. ''I went (to Israel) as the prime minister of Italy. There's no way France can issue criticism over something that was the sole right and responsibility of the Italian prime minister,'' Berlusconi said, clearly bristling with irritation. But isn't offering criticism of something that's none of their business a requirement for French citizenship? [...] However, mutual irritation between the two countries has been evident ever since Berlusconi's centre-right government took power in 2001, with Rome officials accusing Paris of arrogance in its dealings with Italy. Arrogance?? Mon dieu! Diplomats fear the growing rancour could come to the fore when Italy assumes the six-month, rotating EU presidency in July and represents the 15-nation bloc on the international stage. We can only hope. Speaking just hours after defending himself from corruption charges in a Milan court, Berlusconi said on Tuesday Sharon had invited him to go to Israel and added that he planned to meet the Palestinian prime minster shortly. Fine, he's corrupt. But Chirac is worse. ''Any prime minister can choose to accept or not accept an invitation and no one, absolutely no one, I say no one, has the right to take issue with that,'' Berlusconi told a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis. Except the French, of course. Meanwhile, I hear Spain and Italy are lovely spots for a vacation these days. Posted by: growler 2003-06-17 |
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