ITALY/RUSSIA: Italians say Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's comment on 'suntanned' U.S. President-elect Barack Obama not words of a statesman

Record ID: 470282

  • Title: ITALY/RUSSIA: Italians say Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's comment on 'suntanned' U.S. President-elect Barack Obama not words of a statesman
  • Date: 7th November 2008
  • Summary: (BN13) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (NOVEMBER 6, 2008) (REUTERS) CEREMONIAL DOOR-OPENING IN KREMLIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT DMITRY MEDVEDEV AND ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI ENTERING, SHAKING HANDS MEDVEDEV AND BERLUSCONI SHAKING HANDS PRESIDENT OF LUKOIL VAGIT ALEGPEROV AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF ITALIAN REFINER ERG ALESSANDRO GARRONE SHAKING HANDS AND EXCHANGING DOCUMENTS JOURNALISTS
  • Embargoed: 22nd November 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA14SM1MA0I1XUCQBT4HH4PI2A0
  • Story Text: Many are calling on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to apologise after an unconventional welcome to U.S. President-elect when he commented on Obama's attributes of youth, good looks and a "suntan". (Gaffe, Blooper)
    Italians awoke on Friday (November 7) to the news that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had made front-page news around the world for a rather unconventional welcome to Barack Obama.
    Speaking at a joint news conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during a visit to Moscow, the 72-year-old media tycoon said:
    "I will try to help relations between Russia and the United States where a new generation has come to power, and I don't see problems for Medvedev to establish good relations with Obama who is handsome, young and also suntanned."
    Ordinary Italians are used to their prime minister making headlines for similar reasons. Many believed it was Berlusconi's 'showman' style coming into play and he had not meant to appear rascist.
    "He does it on purpose, to try and look as though he's nice because he is almost the most hated man in the world," said Marina Renzi.
    Berlusconi isn't the only one in Italy making controversial statements on Obama.
    Former Telecommunications minister in Berlusconi's government, Maurizio Gasparri, has been quoted as saying terrorist group Al Qaeda will be happy Obama will soon be in the White House.
    The Italian left- wing opposition party have plastered posters all over the capital with Gasparri's comments and the words "Shame on you"
    written under his picture.
    "Berlusconi, gaffe on Obama" ran the headline for La Repubblica. "Berlusconi: Obama tanned. Row" ran the headline of Il Messaggero.
    "It's not so good for Berlusconi to say things like this because he is a political man," added a Russian tourist in Rome.
    "This isn't a joke, this is almost racism - 'tanned' what is that supposed to mean - (Obama) is a black man - if I said things like that people would call me racist," said Rome resident Franco Lupi.
    But Berlusconi appears unlikely to apologise for the comment saying people who do not understand his sense of humour are idiots and he cannot understand why anyone would find his words offensive as he spends a great deal of his time trying to appear tanned.
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