A longer skirt: Italian foreign minister's remarks about a wife for his son spark scandal
Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani has apologized for saying that a woman's reliability in marriage can be judged by the length of her skirt.
His statement, made at an event of his party, Forza Italia, drew criticism in Italy, including from the opposition.
"I apologize if anyone felt offended by what I said. I never thought about offending women and have never done so — neither in my private nor in my public life," Tajani told journalists in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Earlier, Tajani, discussing what kind of girl he would like to see as his son's wife, said he would prefer a "more serious" woman, perhaps less flashy, but faithful, who would become a good mother. The minister linked a girl's seriousness to the length of her skirt, noting that such women prefer longer styles.
Following the criticism, Tajani recalled his work in defense of women's rights, as well as the appointment of women as Italy's ambassadors to Iran and Afghanistan.
