The Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, is to ask Premier Silvio Berlusconi to keep Northern League Leader and Minister of Reform Umberto Bossi under control after Mr Bossi insulted the citizens of Rome on Sunday night.
Speaking at a preliminary round of the “Miss Padania” beauty contest – Padania being the name that the Northern League has given to Northern Italy – Mr Bossi, imitating Astérix and using the initials SPQR [Senatus Populesque Romanus – The Senate and Roman People] quipped:
“Sono porci questi Romani – These Romans are pigs”.
Mr Bossi said that once Federalism is achieved in Italy, he will work to decentralise the country’s politicians, who should not all be based in Rome. Later he said that the “pigs” remark was just a saying used in the North but that the Romans’ strong reactions to it indicated that it was based on the truth.
Democratic Party Senator Vannini Chiti said that Mr Bossi’s position as a government Minister means that his remarks will be taken very seriously and Silvana Mura of the Italy of Values Party has said that the remarks are inadmissible.
Governor of Lazio Renata Polverini said that Rome and its citizens deserve more respect whilst Leader of the House of Deputies Pier Ferdinando Casini has said that Mr Bossi should get on with his job instead of playing the comedian.
Would you take Mr Bossi’s remark as a joke?
