ROME -- After seemingly dismissing Italy’s ‘brain drain’ crisis -- the mass migration of the country’s young generation to other parts of the world to find work -- Giuliano Poletti, Italy’s Labour Minister, claimed Tuesday in the Senate that he had “apologised for the expression” said December last year: “I know young people who have left the country and the country certainly will not suffer from no longer having them.”

 Poletti claimed he expressed himself “in the wrong way” when speaking to reporters on Dec. 19, 2016, after a day dedicated to meeting young people in the Marche region, adding that his choice of phrase does not portray his actual thoughts on the matter.

 The Minister described the backlash received after news spread of his controversial words as “alarming,” referring to the insults and threats which came flooding in on social media. “I thank all those who have been close to me,” Poletti said.

 Senator Lucio Barani still believed the disgraced Minister should resign however, claiming that “when a surgeon, after a thousand operations, makes a mistake and removes a healthy kidney, it is inexcusable. It has caused serious harm to the patient.” Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party, Lorenzo Guerini, thinks otherwise. “Poletti should resign? Absolutely not.”

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