Italian ambassador to Malta attracts criticism over home extension remarks

Trabalza stood up at the end of a conference in Rome which summoned all Italian ambassadors around the world, which was attended by Prime Minister Berlusconi and his foreign minister Franco Frattini.

When Berlusconi announced that the formal workings of the meeting was over, he asked his ambassadors to speak about any subject they wished, prompting Paolo Andrea Trabalza to stand up and complain about the subsidy that was refused by the Capalbio council.

The remarks caused controversy as many in the media interpreted Trabalza to be 'out of line' during the conference, with others suggesting that he was 'cheeky'. Another paper interpreted Trabalza as being 'provocative;' towards Berlusconi who has just completed major works on his super villa in Sardegna.