Samoan Prime Minister Apologizes Over Resurfaced 2007 Nazi Salute Video
Goldlaner.com – Samoa’s prime minister has issued an apology after footage from a 2007 family event emerged showing him making a Nazi salute and leading others in a chant of “Heil Hitler.”
Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt said the conduct shown in the short clip was private at the time and was never meant to be seen publicly. In a government statement released Monday, he acknowledged that the language and gesture were unacceptable regardless of the setting in which they occurred.
“Whatever the context or intention at that gathering twenty years ago, I recognise that those words and gesture were inappropriate and capable of causing offence and hurt and I apologise for using them,”
Laaulialemalietoa became prime minister of the Pacific Island country last year. At the time of the gathering in 2007, he was serving as deputy speaker of Parliament.
Footage from a private gathering
The video was recorded during a family reunion on Savai’i, Samoa’s largest island. Lasting roughly seven seconds, it shows Laaulialemalietoa addressing a group of about a dozen people. He tells them to raise their right hands and says “Heil Hitler,” after which those around him repeat the words and gesture.
Nazi imagery and language carry particular historical weight because they are associated with a regime responsible for the Holocaust, antisemitic persecution, war, and mass murder. Public figures who use such symbols can face intense criticism even when claiming the remarks were made jokingly, privately, or without an intent to promote Nazi ideology.
In his statement, the prime minister said the video does not represent his own beliefs, those of his administration, or the views of Samoa’s people.
“I reject Nazism, antisemitism, racism and all forms of political extremism,”
He added that he considered the matter addressed.
A controversy involving press access
The clip became public after it was featured by the Samoa Observer. The publication has had a difficult relationship with Laaulialemalietoa’s government: last year, he barred the outlet from government press conferences, arguing that its coverage had been unfair.
The dispute adds a media-freedom dimension to the episode. Access to official briefings is an important way for journalists to question political leaders, examine public decisions, and share government information with citizens. When a news organization is excluded, concerns can arise over whether officials are limiting scrutiny, especially during a politically sensitive controversy.
The prime minister’s apology focused on his own actions in the old recording rather than on the wider dispute with the newspaper.
Samoa’s German historical connection
Samoa is a South Pacific nation with a population of about 221,000. It lies near Fiji and west of American Samoa, the United States territory located in the eastern part of the Samoan island chain.
The country’s history includes a period of German colonial rule in the early twentieth century. German influence remains visible in some family backgrounds and surnames, with many Samoans having German heritage. That history, however, is distinct from the ideology later adopted by Nazi Germany.
New Zealand took control of what was then called Western Samoa from Germany in 1914. New Zealand retained authority over the territory until Samoa gained independence in 1962. The country’s modern political identity was therefore shaped by multiple colonial eras as well as its own enduring Samoan culture and traditions.
The resurfaced video has placed that historical background alongside the responsibilities of contemporary leadership. A gesture connected to Nazism can cause harm far beyond the immediate audience, particularly when it is made by someone who later becomes head of government.
Why the apology matters
The statement recognizes that intent does not erase the effect of words or symbols associated with hatred. Laaulialemalietoa said the gesture and chant had the potential to offend and hurt people, a point that reflects the enduring significance of antisemitism and racism in public life.
For Samoa, the episode also underscores the heightened expectations placed on elected leaders. Even material from years before a person enters the country’s highest office can become relevant when it raises questions about judgment, values, or respect for communities affected by discrimination.
Laaulialemalietoa’s rejection of Nazism, antisemitism, racism, and political extremism sets out his position in response to the controversy. Whether the apology ends public discussion may depend on how Samoans, Jewish communities, and other observers assess both the recording and the government’s response.
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