BERLIN, July 15: A German lawmaker at the centre of a dispute with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Tuesday Italy had a racist government.

Martin Schulz, a European Parliament member who Berlusconi compared to a Nazi concentration camp guard two weeks ago, told German television that Italy’s “dubious justice policies” and comments by a minister on refugees prompted that assessment.

“That is the second point, alongside dubious justice policies, that has to be kept in mind, the fact that quite simply there is a racist government in office in Italy,” Schulz told Germany’s XXP television network, according to the text of the interview made available by XXP.

Schulz confirmed to Reuters he had made the remark, but said he was not calling Berlusconi a racist.

He said he was referring to Reforms Minister Umberto Bossi who was quoted in a newspaper interview last month saying the navy should fire on boats carrying illegal immigrants to Italy’s shores.

“He must dismiss Bossi,” Schulz said. Bossi has said his remarks were misinterpreted and that the newspaper interview in no way reflected his thoughts.—Reuters