Photos of female Italian politicians in miniskirts have drawn attention after comments by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani about what kind of woman a man should marry. The controversy began after Tajani spoke at a party political event in Formello near Rome. While discussing the kind of woman he would advise his son to marry, he contrasted a glamorous woman with a “less flashy” and “more reliable” one. Tajani said he would recommend a woman who would be “a good mother” and remain faithful, adding that she might be someone who “wears skirts that are a bit longer”. His comments were followed by criticism from opposition politicians and a protest in the Italian Senate, where female opposition senators appeared in short skirts.
What did Antonio Tajani say about women and long skirts?
Tajani was speaking about marriage and the advice he would give his son. According to ANSA, he said that while a glamorous woman might initially seem attractive, he would prefer a “less flashy but more reliable, more serious” woman who would be a good mother and remain faithful. He then asked whether people would prefer the glamorous woman or the more serious type, “the one who perhaps wears skirts that are a bit longer than the other’s?”As reported by The Independent, Tajani also described the woman he considered more suitable for marriage as “perhaps less pretty, with a slightly longer skirt”. He linked this choice to stability and fidelity in marriage. His comments quickly became a subject of political criticism, with opponents questioning the idea that clothing could be connected with a woman’s reliability or suitability as a wife or mother.
Why did women politicians wear miniskirts to the Italian Senate?
On September 22, a group of female opposition senators appeared together in short skirts at Italy’s Senate in response to Tajani’s remarks. The protest included politicians from opposition groups including the Democratic Party, Five Star Movement, Italia Viva and the Greens and Left Alliance. The initiative was proposed by Italia Viva senator Raffaella Paita. Paita explained the protest as a statement about freedom of dress. “This is a gesture of freedom to say that we are free to dress however we want,” she said. The protest also became a direct visual response to Tajani’s reference to skirt length as part of his example about choosing a wife.
Chiara Appendino posted a miniskirt photo
She posted the photo on Facebook.
Former Turin mayor and Five Star Movement MP Chiara Appendino was among the politicians who responded publicly. She posted a photograph on Facebook of herself in a miniskirt and directly addressed Tajani. “Tajani, am I not a ‘trustworthy’ woman? Am I not a ‘good mother’?” she asked. She added: “We cannot allow a minister in 2026 to tell us that we should marry a woman who wears longer skirts and is less showy.” Politician Fiorella Zabatta, spokesperson for the opposition Greens and Left Alliance, also criticised Tajani’s comments. “Tajani isn’t decades behind the times, he’s thousands of years behind,” she said. She also called on the government to focus on women who have been killed rather than judging the clothing of women who are alive. “Count the women who have been killed before measuring the skirt lengths of those who are alive,” Zabatta said. Her comments came amid a wider debate in Italy over women’s safety and political discussion around women’s rights.
Tajani apologises
Tajani later apologised for the remarks. Speaking in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, he said: “I apologise if anyone was offended by what I said, but I never intended to offend women.” The apology came after several days of criticism over his original comments. The Senate protest turned Tajani’s comments about skirt length into a visual political statement. Instead of debating whether a long or short skirt indicated anything about a woman’s character, the opposition senators used their clothing to make the opposite point: that women can choose what they wear without that choice determining how they should be viewed as wives, mothers or public figures.