The European Parliament may be one of the few parliaments in the Western world that can not legislate on its own. One thing, though, is that the deputies take it for granted: when it comes to reconciliation among Europe's nations, peace and international understanding, no one is kidding them.

According to statements by European Parliament President Antonio Tajani disturbing the otherwise rather contemplative Strasbourg session week. "Long live the Italian Istria, it live the Italian Dalmatia and the Italian exiles," Tajani had proclaimed in a speech in the Italian Basovizza, very close to the Slovenian border. Among other things, the "NZZ" reported about it.

Tajani spoke at a memorial commemorating Italians killed between 1943 and 1945 by Yugoslav partisans. As if to make it clear that some local politician is not speaking here, Tajani added that he was not just here as an Italian and a patriot, but as President of the European Parliament. That at the commemoration on Sunday next to all kinds of flag bearers in uniform and the head of the right-wing nationalist Lega, Matteo Salvini, was present, does not make things better.

Warning of "historical revisionism"

Istria and Dalmatia belonged to Yugoslavia since the Second World War and now to its successor states. The reactions to Tajani's derailment are correspondingly clear. Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who belongs to the European People's Party (EPP) like Tajani, criticized the Italian "in the strongest terms". Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec warned against "historical revisionism". EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc, also from Slovenia, scolded Twitter for "distorting historical facts".

At first, Tajani was still combative and teased back on his Italian Twitter account, as the EU online portal "Euractiv" traces. "History is history," he wrote. Bulc then invited him, again via Twitter, to visit a former German-Italian concentration camp near Trieste. An invitation that the President of Parliament has now accepted after some hesitation.

This apology is not enough

In the meantime, other Twitter users called Tajani a fascist. A charge that Tajani immediately countered by calling his attackers "Communists."

After all: At the beginning of the Strasbourg parliament week saw Tajani on Monday evening forced to a kind of apology. In no case was it for him to make territorial claims for Italy, according to Tajani. "I regret it if my words were misunderstood." In his speech, he was concerned to emphasize the way to peace and reconciliation.

But even his words do not create peace, not everywhere. He has studied Tajani's apology closely, writes MEP and former Slovenian Prime Minister Alojz Peterle on Tuesday, "but I can not accept them". Peterle continued: "Neither his speech nor his apology contribute to peace."

Tajani's days at the top of the parliament are numbered anyway

From the point of view of Tajani's critics, the episode again shows that the man is not equal to his job, next to the head of the commission and the President of the European Council, after all the third top prize at the top of the EU. Tajani, who like CDU and CSU from Germany belongs to the EPP, is politically a pupil of Forza Italia founder Silvio Berlusconi. He moved to the top of the European Parliament when his predecessor Martin Schulz moved to Germany at the end of 2016 to compete as candidate for chancellor of the SPD. Although there had been strong criticism of Tajani even before his election, supported him also the German Union parliamentarians.

After all, as a German representative says smugly, one thing Tajani has managed to do with his derailment - the MEPs from Slovenia and Croatia, who are otherwise often spider-faced, agree in their criticism of the man. Although both countries have long been in the EU, they are still fighting over territorial claims and accesses in the Adriatic Bay of Piran.

Well, it can be heard, the MEPs of both countries want to tackle Tajani in Strasbourg together. After the conversation on Wednesday afternoon, Tajani once again sent out an apology statement. This time he was sorry to have "used words that have injured fellow citizens".

Cancellation claims are not yet available. But that might be more likely that Tajani's days at the top of the parliament are numbered anyway. European elections are scheduled for the end of May and whoever is promoted to President of Parliament is completely open.