Thursday, February 7, 2019

France recalls Rome ambassador after worst verbal onslaught 'since the war'...no wonder the EU is worried.

Move comes after Italian deputy prime minister met with leaders of the anti-Macron gilets jaunes movement

Paris has taken the extraordinary step of recalling its ambassador from Rome in the worst crisis between the two neighbouring countries since the second world war.
France blamed what it called called baseless verbal attacks from Italy’s political leaders, which it said were “without precedent since world war two”.
Italy’s two deputy prime ministers, far-right Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio of the populist, anti-establishment Five Star Movement, have in recent months criticised the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on a host of inflammatory issues, from immigration to the gilets jaunes (yellow vest) anti-government demonstrations.

This week Di Maio met leaders of the gilets jaunes and said: “The wind of change has crossed the Alps.” France said the comment was an unacceptable “provocation”.
Announcing the immediate returns of its ambassador for talks, the French foreign office said in a statement: “For several months, France has been the target of repeated, baseless attacks and outrageous statements. Having disagreements is one thing but manipulating the relationship for electoral aims is another.

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