Merkel's challenger slams Berlusconi as ‘clown’

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-left challenger in this year's German election has dismissed former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi and comic-turned-politician Beppe Grillo as "clowns" following their strong performance in weekend elections, Reuters reported.

Peer Steinbrueck, a former finance minister with a reputation for straight talk, said he was "appalled that two clowns have won" and made it clear he was referring to Grillo and to Berlusconi, calling the latter "clearly a clown with a testosterone boost".

"My impression is that two populists won," said Steinbrueck, a Social Democrat (SPD), at a regional political rally in Potsdam late on Tuesday, Feb 26.

Berlusconi is deeply unpopular in Germany and has been attacked repeatedly in the media.

But it was unclear whether Steinbrueck had done himself any favors with his frank talk. In Germany, politicians are expected to strike a serious tone and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of European partners. On Twitter, some commentators dismissed Steinbrueck as the "real clown".

Both Grillo and Berlusconi campaigned against the austerity measures implemented by technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti at the urging of Germany's conservative chancellor Merkel.