The two clowns and Italy's point of pride

The Italian president has cancelled an official appointment during a visit to Germany after Angela Merkel's main rival said Italy voted for two "clowns" in this week's election.

Giorgio Napolitano took grave offence at the remark by Peer Steinbruck, the German opposition candidate for chancellor in elections in September.

At a rally in Potsdam, the Social Democrat politician said he was appalled that two clowns had won" the Italian election, held on Sunday and Monday.

He was referring to Silvio Berlusconi and Beppe Grillo, a former comedian.

He added further insult by describing Berlusconi, whose last term in office was mired in sex scandals, as "a clown with a testosterone boost".

President Napolitano is no ally of either the media mogul or Grillo, but clearly felt that Italy's national honour was at stake. He cancelled a dinner he was meant to have had with Steinbruck in Berlin.

He said the remark was "completely out of place" and that there were no longer the right "conditions" for the dinner to go ahead.

The 87-year-old statesman, a former Communist, is due to step down in May but he must first try to sort out his country's political mess.

Although neither man "won" the election, they both did unexpectedly well, creating an impasse in Italy.

Grillo's anti-establishment Five Star Movement won a quarter of the vote and holds the balance of power. Grillo yesterday rejected overtures by Pier Luigi Bersani, the leader of the centre-Left Democratic Party, to form an alliance.