Milan, March 26 (LaPresse) – “I believe the time has come to clarify a few things regarding what happened on Saturday, March 22, at the presentation of my latest book. The gesture I made is part of a familiar set of gestures for me. I realized, after watching the footage, that I almost mechanically transferred that gesture into a different context. I made a mistake, and I regret it. But it is clear from the images and audio that I never intended to assault or intimidate the journalist,” said former Prime Minister Romano Prodi in a statement, after sparking controversy for being seen apparently 'pulling a journalist’s hair' in reaction to an unwelcome question. “This incident gives me a chance to reflect, which may be useful. I believe it is everyone’s right—regardless of the roles they have held in life—to defend their own story and honor, and to reject, as if it were an unavoidable fate, the exploitation and even mockery that spread, thanks in part to the power of the Internet. As if a whole life didn’t matter, as if the future didn’t exist,” he concluded.
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