Spain Catalonia apologises to Italy for minister’s outburst 12/07/08 18:55 CET

Prickly relations between Italy and Spain continue, with the Catalonian autonomous government now having to apologise to Rome after outspoken comments by its interior minister.

Joan Boada was incensed by the Italian press’s criticism of Catalonian police, and reporting of the murder of a young Italian tourist earlier this month, for which a Uruguayan man has been arrested and charged.

Boada said that the press was “in thrall to prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, and provided him with the bloody sensationalist stories he needs to divert attention from his and his government’s problems.”

This in turn angered the Italians, with their Spanish ambassador delivering a formal protest to the Catalonian government and demanding an official and public apology. This they have now obtained.