Article: New Italian Premier Defends `Post-Fascists' in Government

BONN, Germany Silvio Berlusconi, in his first trip as Italy's prime minister, sought on Thursday to deflect criticism of the "post-fascists" in his government by saying there's no place for intolerance in Italy.

The newly elected Italian leader has been criticized in Europe for the makeup of his government, which includes five members of a party descended from followers of Benito Mussolini, the wartime ally of Adolf Hitler.

Berlusconi stressed his country's commitment to democracy. "Intolerance, war and anti-Semitism belong to the past," he said at a brief appearance with Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany.

Later, Berlusconi said all five Cabinet members from the right-wing National ...

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