GERMANY: The Italian President, Mr Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, has called for an end to the war of words between Italy and Germany following the resignation of the Italian minister who called German tourists "loud, hyper-nationalistic blondes".
Mr Stefano Stefani, a junior tourism minister, resigned from the Italian government on Friday evening.
"German tourists are welcome to come to Italy," said President Ciampi to Bild am Sonntag newspaper yesterday. "I wholly believe in the friendship and the sharing of aims between Italy and Germany. We cannot allow that painful polemic that interfered with German-Italian relations to cast a shadow on our future co-operation."
But the Italian apology came too late for the Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder; he has cancelled his holiday in Italy later this month and plans to stay at home in Hanover. His spokesman said another change of plans was unlikely, but Mr Schröder would return to Italy next year.
Germany's Sunday newspapers devoted pages to the row. Bild appeared anxious to put the row behind it, publishing a list of "55 reasons we still love Italy". Der Spiegel magazine depicted Mr Schröder as the Italy-loving German dramatist Goethe on its front cover above the headline: "The great summer theatre".
"I only wanted to criticise those who keep trying to show Italians and their government in a bad light," said Mr Stefani on Friday evening.
"Germans are always welcome here because they are - and will remain - exemplary neighbours and reliable friends in Europe." However, yesterday's newspapers quoted a somewhat less contrite Mr Stefani in front of supporters of his right-wing Lega Nord party.
"I couldn't care less about political office," he said. "Italy is a strange country: the only party to defend the Italian people after they were insulted in Strasbourg is now punished."
Italian political observers suggested that Mr Stefani's resignation was part of a deal between the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, and Mr Umberto Bossi, head of the Lega Nord, to avoid a political crisis during Italy's six-month presidency of the European Union.
Mr Berlusconi said it was "a sad and disagreeable event to which excessive importance has been given".
By way of apology, Italy's Fiat car company said it was sending the first model of its new Lancia Ypsilon car worth €11,500 to Ms Doris Schröder-Kopf, the Chancellor's wife.
She is expected to auction off the car to benefit children's charities she supports.
Not all Germans were happy with the outcome of the row: former Chancellor Dr Helmut Kohl told Focus magazine that Mr Schröder's decision to cancel his Italian holiday was a "completely exaggerated reaction".
The episode has left a bad taste in the mouth of Italian artist Bruno Bruni, a friend of the Chancellor who was planning to put up the Schröder family.
"If the Italians are so stupid to keep electing Berlusconi perhaps I will just move away entirely," he said to Bild am Sonntag.
"When I see our Prime Minister covered in make-up then I have to laugh and cry simultaneously."