New Germany-Italy spat

The diplomatic row between Germany and Italy over the "Nazi" jibe deepened today when Chancellor Gerhard Schroder threatened not to visit Italy on holiday.

The dispute began after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi likened a German MEP to a Nazi concentrat ion camp guard. Now Stefano Stefani, an Italian economics official, has said German tourists are "noisy" and "intoxicated with arrogant certainties".

Chancellor Schroder had been planning to holiday in Italy next month.

But his spokesman, Bela Anda, said today that Stefani's remarks were an "insult to all Germans who like to spend their vacations in Italy".

He added: "Should these comments be approved of by the Italian government and remain without consequences, the chancellor will cancel his vacation."