All Italian agencies and newspapers published on their websi es Mesic's statement that he was "surprised" by Napolitano's speech "in which one cannot but see elements of open racism, historical revisionism and political revenge-seeking".
On Saturday Italy commemorated the victims of the foibe massacres, namely people thrown into karst pits, and persecutions of Italians by the former Yugoslav regime during and in the wake of World War II,
Speaking in Brussels, D'Alema said Mesic's reaction was "entirely unfounded". "Such a reaction surprises and saddens," he said, adding that the Italian Foreign Ministry would issue an official statement.
Napolitano's office did not issue an official reaction but let it be known that the president "entirely shares Minister D'Alema's opinion".
"After closely considering (Mesic's) statement we will assess what to do, by consulting with both Prime Minister Romano Prodi and President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano," said D'Alema.
He added that Napolitano's speech on Saturday was "in the direction of acknowledging a historical truth, which is the foundation of every process of reconciliation". He said "the real meaning of Napolitano's words" was not understood.
"The democratic Italy has acknowledged a number of times what fascism did in the Balkans. A big country like ours certainly acknowledged the horrors which fascism committed in the Balkans and condemned the fascist occupation of the former Yugoslavia," D'Alema said, adding that "in the same way the Croatian president should know that many people and political forces fought alongside Yugoslav Partisans against the Nazi-fascist occupation".
D'Alema went on to say that "Mesic should know that he is speaking to the president of democratic and antifascist Italy, which dealt with its fascist past". He said Italy felt the truth should be told about the innocent Italian victims in the tragic aftermath of World War II, and that the historical truth was a condition for the full process of reconciliation "which we want, which is why we are proposing the making of symbolic moves that were discussed".
Other Italian politicians too expressed solidarity with Napolitano.
The Italian Foreign Ministry called Croatian Ambassador Tomislav Vidosevic for talks.