Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has sparked controversy after suggesting that women who wear longer skirts make better mothers, remarks that prompted sharp criticism from politicians and the Catholic Church. Tajani, who leads Forza Italia—one of the parties in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s conservative coalition—commented on appropriate qualities for marriage during a recent interview, advising his son to choose a “less flashy” woman who would remain faithful and be a good mother, characterizing such women as those who wear longer skirts.
Tajani’s comments on women’s attire and reliability drew immediate backlash from various quarters. Chiara Appendino, a member of parliament from the centre-left Five Star Movement and former mayor of Turin, responded by posting a photo of herself wearing a miniskirt on social media. She challenged Tajani’s implication that skirt length correlates with trustworthiness and maternal ability, stating that women’s reliability should not be measured by “centimetres of fabric.” She called for a move away from what she described as “Medieval” attitudes.
Other opposition figures also condemned Tajani’s remarks. Matteo Renzi, a former prime minister and prominent left-wing politician, questioned the outdated nature of Tajani’s views, asking rhetorically if such judgments date back to the “18th century.” Maria Elena Boschi, an MP from the opposition Italia Viva party, used sarcasm to criticize the deputy prime minister, suggesting that his next move might be to enforce a dress code mandating long skirts in schools, workplaces, and even parliament.
Tajani later issued a statement apologizing for any offense caused, emphasizing that he never intended to insult women, either in his public or private life.
The debate intensified when Roberto Vannacci, leader of the far-right National Future party, was asked on television whether he preferred women in long or short skirts. His response, "Between a woman in a long skirt and a woman in a short skirt, I always prefer a woman without a skirt," added a provocative note to the ongoing conversation about gender, dress, and societal expectations in Italy.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions within Italy regarding traditional values, gender roles, and the expectations placed on women, particularly in the conservative political sphere. Tajani’s remarks and the responses they elicited underline the continuing debate over women’s autonomy and representation in Italian society and politics.