Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani is facing backlash after saying women who wear longer skirts are better marriage material and are more likely to make good mothers.
The 73-year-old deputy prime minister has been forced to apologising for the remarks during a speech at a political event on Friday.
“My children are married,” he said. “But if I had to advise a young man which woman to marry, I would suggest a less flashy but more reliable, more serious woman, who will certainly be a good mother.
“Ready to provide the necessary answers, always present. Perhaps less pretty, with a slightly longer skirt.
“But while with the attractive one you might get a few ‘cornettos’, with the other you are certainly sure of everlasting love. She will keep her promise to marry and ensure the stability of the home. She will be there.”
The comments have sparked fierce backlash from politicians across Italy, with Matteo Renzi, a former prime minister and the current senator for Florence calling them “backwards”.
He shared an AI-generated image of the foreign minister wearing a short denim mini-skirt to mock his position.
Opposition MP and former Turin mayor Chiara Appendino posted a picture of herself with a short skirt and a caption saying: “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.”
However, far-right politician Roberto Vannacci, known for making provocative statements, fuelled the flames and told Italian media on Tuesday that “between a woman with a long skirt and with a short skirt, I prefer one without a skirt”.
Responding to the controversy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week, Tajani said he had been “misunderstood” and apologised for any offence caused, according to comments shared in Italian media.
“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 said on Monday.
