Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said “sorry” for an
editorial attack on France’s first lady Carla Bruni for staying away
from events organised for the Group of Eight summit.
 Il Giornale newspaper, which is owned by Berlusconi’s brother, had
accused the Italian wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy of
“boorishness” for snubbing the official programme for G8 spouses.
“I was very upset and deeply sorry when I was told about the articles
published in the Italian dailies, including Il Giornale, containing
offensive remarks about Mme Carla Bruni, wife of the president of the
French republic,” Berlusconi said in a statement.
He said the comments were “out of place” and expressed his “esteem
and friendship” for Bruni and Sarkozy.
Bruni came in for withering criticism from the right-wing daily.
“Someone tell the first lady that snobbery to the nth degree where we
come from is called boorishness,” the paper said.
G8 first ladies, including Michelle Obama, wife of US President
Barack Obama, last week toured L’Aquila, the Italian city devastated by
an earthquake in April.
Bruni stayed away from the first ladies’ audience with Pope Benedict
XVI.
- AFP
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