Pity the poor spokesman

Date: 08/02/1996

Few would be surprised if Italy's Foreign Minister Susanna Agnelli has a new press adviser next time she chairs a Council of Ministers meeting.

It looks as if poor old Italian spokesman Gabriele Menegatti will be held responsible for Agnelli's dismal performance at her first press conference in Brussels last week.

Clearly tired after a long day, Agnelli read out a statement so fast that it left interpreters and journalists trailing in her wake. Seeing trouble ahead, Menegatti whispered to her to slow down only to be verbally assaulted with a loud: “You wanted me to read a statement, well now I will read it!”.

Worse yet, Agnelli's summary of the General Affairs Council failed to refer to the key issue, the EU's dilemma over the recognition of the former Yugoslavia. When faced with a string of questions on the topic, it was apparent that the good lady was less than well-versed in the details of the debate which was supposed to have dominated the day's proceedings.