Foreign minister says he was "misunderstood" after comparing choosing a wife to choosing how to vote, as opposition and even allies accuse him of peddling patriarchal stereotypes.Italy's deputy premier and foreign minister Antonio Tajani has apologised after days of criticism over remarks in which he suggested men should marry "less flashy" women with "longer skirts" because they are more trustworthy than "flashy" women who might be unfaithful.Speaking on Monday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Forza Italia leader said: "I apologise if people felt offended by what I said, but I never intended to offend women, and I never have, either in my private or my public life." He added that he had been "misunderstood". The original remarks The controversy stems from a speech Tajani gave on Friday at "Itaca", a political event in Formello, near Rome. Using an extended metaphor comparing the choice of political allegiance to choosing a wife for his son, Tajani said:   "A pretty girl, maybe? Sure, it's lovely to marry a pretty girl. But what's her character like? Maybe she's changed boyfriends a lot, dumped one, left another, she's the type to be unfaithful. Then there's another girl who is more serious, maybe less striking [meno appariscente], but more reliable, more serious, who will be a good mother, who will stay faithful to the love she pledges in marriage."   "So I tell my son: choose the second one, because the one who seems attractive might then cheat on you... that's no good. The one who's pretty but less showy is the stable one, who guarantees stability for the home and the family. I always choose the pretty, serious, credible one, who keeps the family together, who's there, who always answers when you call."   He went on to apply the same logic to political preference polls, referring to "the serious girl, who maybe has slightly longer skirts than the other one" versus a more "flashy" alternative, and comparing male candidates to a "muscular playboy" versus a man who "goes to the office in a suit and tie". Backlash The remarks triggered criticism across the political spectrum and on social media, where numerous women posted photos of themselves in short skirts in protest.   Opposition Movimento 5 Stelle MP and former Turin mayor Chiara Appendino was among those who joined the protest, posting a picture of herself in a short skirt with the caption: "Tajani, am I not a trustworthy woman? Not a good mother? In 2026 we shouldn't still be hearing a government minister explain that it's better to marry a less flashy woman with a longer skirt. Our reliability isn't measured in centimetres of fabric. Let's get out of the Middle Ages."   Europa Verde/Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra (AVS) co-spokesperson Fiorella Zabatta said Tajani was dragging Italy back "millennia", comparing him to a Roman-style pater familias choosing a wife for his son, and noted that while campaigners have long called for an official database on femicides, "the government instead sends out the tailor's tape measure". Maria Elena Boschi, head of Italia Viva's MPs, said that after prime minister Giorgia Meloni's pledge to ban the burqa and niqab in schools, "all we're missing now is Tajani proposing a decree making long skirts compulsory".   Matteo Renzi, leader of Italia Viva, said the foreign minister "should worry about the burqa worn by Afghan women, not the miniskirts worn by Italian girls", adding: "Berlusconi must be turning in his grave - Forza Italia should have the courage to remove his name from its symbol."   Ringrazio le donne di Italia Viva che hanno scovato, poi rilanciato e fatto girare sui social il video di Tajani sulle gonne delle donne. Sono fiero di voi: senza la vostra tenacia la frase di Tajani sarebbe finita nel dimenticatoio. È devastante pensare che nel momento più… pic.twitter.com/VwhaLo1TIg — Matteo Renzi (@matteorenzi) September 21, 2026   Criticism also came from within the governing coalition. Lega MEP Susanna Ceccardi, speaking a day earlier from the stage of the Lega's Pontida rally, said: "I wore a skirt today. Maybe some Islamic people won't like it, and maybe Tajani won't either" - invoking the late Silvio Berlusconi, whom she said would certainly have distanced himself from his successor's words.   The Turin branch of anti-violence charity Telefono Rosa said it was "unacceptable that the idea can still survive that someone else gets to decide how a woman should look, dress, behave, and what role she should have in the family", warning that judging women's bodies and choices was itself a form of control.   AVS co-leader Angelo Bonelli dismissed Tajani's apology as "hypocritical", noting that the Formello speech was filmed in full and could not be dismissed as a quote taken out of context. He also criticised the response of Meloni who played down the row on Saturday, telling reporters at Fratelli d'Italia's Fenix youth festival: "I think it was simply a badly phrased remark - I wouldn't blow it out of proportion." Tajani's defence Alongside his apology, Tajani pointed to his record as foreign minister, noting that he had appointed women as Italy's ambassadors to Iran and Afghanistan "specifically to send a clear signal that women's rights cannot be trampled on anywhere in the world" - though critics said the comment itself implied the appointments were based on gender rather than merit.   He offered no retraction of the substance of his Formello speech.   Photo credit: Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com

Italy's deputy premier and foreign minister Antonio Tajani has apologised after days of criticism over remarks in which he suggested men should marry "less flashy" women with "longer skirts" because they are more trustworthy than "flashy" women who might be unfaithful.