The French foreign ministry on Wednesday denounced as “unacceptable” a meeting between Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio and France’s “yellow vest” anti-government protesters.

“This new provocation is unacceptable between neighbouring countries and partners at the heart of the European Union,” a ministry spokesman said in a statement a day after Di Maio met the protesters on French soil.

“Mr Di Maio, who has governmental responsibilities, should ensure that he does not impair with its repeated interferences our bilateral relations, in the interest of both France and Italy,” the spokesman said.

Di Maio, head of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), announced Tuesday he had met near Paris with yellow vest leader Christophe Chalencon and Ingrid Levavasseur, who is heading a yellow vest list for European Parliament elections in May.

He invited them and other yellow vests to a follow-up meeting in Rome, claiming on Twitter that “The wind of change has crossed the Alps.”

Tensions have flared between the two countries since the Five Star Movement and far-right League party came to power in a coalition in Italy last June.

Di Maio had already drawn Paris’s ire after he accused France of fuelling the migrant influx to Europe by continuing to “colonise” Africa.

That prompted France to summon Italy’s ambassador in protest.

And De Maio’s fellow deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, has lambasted President Emmanuel Macron directly by saying he is “close, with all my heart… to the French people, the millions of men and women who live in France under a terrible government and terrible president”.

The “yellow vest” protests against fuel taxes began in rural and small-town France in late November, before ballooning into a wider revolt against Macron’s policies and governing style.

The French president is hoping to forge an alliance of pro-European centrists ahead of the bloc’s parliamentary vote, against a wave of populist movements in several European countries.</s>"This new provocation is unacceptable between neighbouring countries and partners at the heart of the European Union," a ministry spokesman said in a statement a day after Di Maio met the protesters on French soil.

"Mr Di Maio, who has governmental responsibilities, should ensure that he does not impair with its repeated interferences our bilateral relations, in the interest of both France and Italy," the spokesman said.

Di Maio, head of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), announced Tuesday he had met near Paris with yellow vest leader Christophe Chalencon and Ingrid Levavasseur, who is heading a yellow vest list for European Parliament elections in May.

He invited them and other yellow vests to a follow-up meeting in Rome, claiming on Twitter that "The wind of change has crossed the Alps."

Tensions have flared between the two countries since the Five Star Movement and rightwing-populist League party came to power in a coalition in Italy last June.

Di Maio had already drawn Paris's ire after he accused France of fuelling the migrant influx to Europe by continuing to "colonise" Africa. That prompted France to summon Italy's ambassador in protest.

And De Maio's fellow deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, has lambasted President Emmanuel Macron directly by saying he is "close, with all my heart... to the French people, the millions of men and women who live in France under a terrible government and terrible president".

The "yellow vest" protests against fuel taxes began in rural and small-town France in late November, before ballooning into a wider revolt against Macron's policies and governing style.

The French president is hoping to forge an alliance of pro-European centrists ahead of the bloc's parliamentary vote, against a wave of populist movements in several European countries.</s>PARIS/ROME (Reuters) - France recalled its ambassador to Italy on Thursday, a remarkable diplomatic split between neighbors and European Union allies, after what it described as “repeated, baseless” attacks by Italian political leaders against France.

The rupture, the first withdrawal of a French envoy to Rome since World War Two, was announced by the foreign ministry.

Diplomats said Paris acted after a series of insults from Italy, capped by Deputy Prime Minister Luigi di Maio’s decision this week to meet with members of France’s “yellow vest” movement, which has mounted a months-long and sometimes violent campaign against Macron.

“France has been, for several months, the target of repeated, baseless attacks and outrageous statements,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “Having disagreements is one thing, but manipulating the relationship for electoral aims is another.”

Di Maio, head of the anti-establishment 5-Star movement, which is in a governing coalition with the far-right League, defended his meeting with the “yellow vests”, and drew a distinction between Macron and the French people.

“The French people are our friends and our ally,” he said. “President Macron has repeatedly lashed out against the Italian government for political reasons in view of the European elections,” he said, referring to a European Parliament vote in May that is expected to see a surge among populist parties.

“My meeting as the political leader of the 5-Star movement with members of the ‘yellow vests’... was fully legitimate. I claim the right to talk with other political forces that represent the French people.”

The 32-year-old Di Maio appears keen to cast himself as a youthful rival to Macron, 41, even as his approval rating falls at home.

Macron offered no immediate response to Di Maio.

He has spent much of the past month touring France in a “great debate” with citizens to try to lift his own approval ratings and regain the initiative in the face of the protests. While Thursday’s diplomatic action was going on, he was attending one such townhall meeting in the small eastern town of Etang-sur-Arroux.

France’s Europe minister, Nathalie Loiseau, said the decision to recall the ambassador was rare but necessary.

“There was behavior by a member of the Italian government that we consider unusual, unfriendly and that follows a number of official Italian statements that we find hard to understand in terms of how they help Franco-Italian relations,” she told France Info.

BASTA ITALIA!

Ties between the two traditionally close allies have grown increasingly tense since mid-2018, with Di Maio and his fellow deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini of the League party, firing pot-shots at Macron and France, mostly over migration policy.

FILE PHOTO: General Secretary of the Quai d'Orsay (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Christian Masset arrives to attend a dinner in honour of South African President Jacob Zuma at the Elysee palace in Paris, France, July 11, 2016. Picture taken July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Macron has at times responded, criticizing Italy last June for its refusal to accept a boatload of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, and taking aim at Rome’s public finances.

But in recent weeks the exchanges have grown sharper and more personal. Di Maio accused France last month of fuelling poverty in Africa, suggesting it was a neo-colonial power.

Salvini accused France of exploiting the unrest in Libya to benefit oil company Total, which competes with Italy’s ENI in the development of regional energy assets. He also said he hoped Macron’s party would lose in May’s European elections.

During a visit to Egypt last month, Macron sought to shrug off the sparring, calling Salvini and Di Maio’s comments “insignificant” and adding that he dealt only with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Conte, a political unknown who became prime minister last year as a compromise between Salvini and Di Maio, was caught on video at last month’s World Economic Forum in Davos discussing the dispute with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Italian TV channel La 7 broadcast footage a week ago showing the two leaders talking at a bar, with Conte telling Merkel that Di Maio was attacking France because he was down in the polls ahead of the European elections and needed an enemy.

“So they say what are the issues that can help us during the campaign... In the political campaign our friend is Germany and so we had to do the campaign against France,” he said, prompting laughter from Merkel.

Slideshow (2 Images)

TIME TO ‘TURN THE PAGE’?

Salvini sought to calm the tone on Thursday, saying he did not want to argue with France and was happy to meet Macron. As president, Macron would normally meet with other heads of state or government, not deputies.

“We are ready and willing, with a constructive spirit, to turn the page for the good of our people,” Salvini said.

But he added that France should address three issues: its policy of returning migrants to Italy, occasional border checks at the frontier, and the case of some 15 Italian leftists who have had refuge in France for decades.

While rare, the French action was not unprecedented among EU members. In 2016, Greece recalled its ambassador to Austria, and in 2017 Hungary withdrew its envoy to the Netherlands.</s>PARIS (Reuters) - France’s foreign ministry on Wednesday slammed a meeting between Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio and leaders of France’s “yellow vest” anti-government movement, accusing him of undermining relations between the two European neighbours.

“This new provocation is not acceptable between neighbouring countries and partners in the European Union,” a foreign ministry spokesman said in a daily online briefing.

“Mr Di Maio, who holds government responsibilities, must take care not to undermine, through his repeated interferences, our bilateral relations, in the interest of both France and Italy.”

Di Maio, who also leads the populist, anti-establishment 5-Star party, said he had stopped over in France and met “yellow vests” leader Christophe Chalencon and candidates on the grassroots movement’s list for European Parliament elections in May. He tweeted that “winds of change” had crossed the Alps.</s>PARIS (Reuters) - France’s foreign ministry on Wednesday slammed a meeting between Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio and leaders of France’s “yellow vest” anti-government movement, accusing him of undermining relations between the two European neighbors.

“This new provocation is not acceptable between neighboring countries and partners in the European Union,” a foreign ministry spokesman said in a daily online briefing.

“Mr Di Maio, who holds government responsibilities, must take care not to undermine, through his repeated interferences, our bilateral relations, in the interest of both France and Italy.”

Di Maio, who also leads the populist, anti-establishment 5-Star party, said he had stopped over in France and met “yellow vests” leader Christophe Chalencon and candidates on the grassroots movement’s list for European Parliament elections in May. He tweeted that “winds of change” had crossed the Alps.</s>France is recalling its ambassador to Italy amid mounting tensions after Italy's deputy prime minister met with French yellow vest protesters and a string of critical Italian comments toward French President Emmanuel Macron's government.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll said in a statement Thursday that the ambassador is being brought back for "consultations," and urged Italy to return to friendly relations worthy of "our common destiny."

Italy's Luigi Di Maio met this week with supporters of a yellow vest group seeking to run in the European Parliament elections in May. Di Maio has said his populist movement is ready to help France's anti-government protesters, and has accused France of fueling Europe's migrant crisis.

France's Foreign Ministry called that an "unacceptable" interference in French democracy, and unprecedented since the two neighbors joined together after World War II to help create the European Union.</s>France has warned Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio not to interfere in the country's politics, after he met French "yellow-vest" protesters.

"This new provocation is unacceptable between neighbouring countries and partners at the heart of the EU," the French foreign ministry said.

Mr Di Maio, leader of the populist Five Star Movement, met two leaders of the anti-government protests on Tuesday.

"The wind of change has crossed the Alps," Mr Di Maio tweeted (in Italian).

He also posted a picture of himself with "yellow-vest" leader Christophe Chalençon and Ingrid Levavasseur, who is heading a "yellow-vest" (gilets jaunes) list for elections to the European Parliament in May.

The meeting took place near Paris.

Relations between France and Italy have been tense since the Five Star Movement (M5S) and right-wing League parties came to power in Italy in June 2018.

In January, France summoned Italy's ambassador after Mr Di Maio said Paris had "never stopped colonising tens of African states".

Italy's populist leadership has also recently clashed with France on issues such as migration protests and culture.

Who are the 'gilets jaunes'?

The "gilets jaunes" protests against fuel tax hikes began last November, saying the measure hurt those who live in remote areas of France and depend on cars.

The "gilets jaunes" derive their name from the high-visibility vests they wear - and which French motorists are required by law to carry in their vehicles.
• Who are the 'gilets jaunes'?

But since their first marches - and the government's subsequent U-turn on fuel taxes - their demands have expanded to boosting people's purchasing power and allowing popular referendums.

In December, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "partly responsible" for the "insufficient response" to the protests that have rocked the country.</s>The diplomatic row between France and Italy is escalating. More than half a year after Italy summoned the French ambassador over Europe's migrant row, on Thursday France one-upped Italy when it announced it would recall its ambassador to Italy, citing "outrageous" verbal attacks, repeated "meddling" in its domestic affairs and "unacceptable" provocations.

The French foreign ministry said the decision was taken following a meeting between Italy’s deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio and leaders of the French Yellow Vest protester movement, trumpeting his support for the grassroots protests in defiance of President Emmanuel Macron.

“This is unprecedented since the war,” the foreign ministry said in an emailed statement on Thursday. “Having disagreements is one thing, but using the relationship for electoral purposes is quite another.”

Luigi di Maio, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement hailed the "winds of change across the Alps" yesterday on Twitter after meeting with Yellow Vest activists Cristophe Chalencon and Ingrid Levavasseur.

"The latest interference is an additional and unacceptable provocation,” according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Thursday. It added that this “violates the respect that democratically and freely elected governments owe each other."

"All these acts create a serious situation that questions the intentions of the Italian government" towards France.

A diplomatic feud has been growing between Paris and Rome over repeated expressions of support for the Yellow Vest protests coming from top Italian officials. Di Maio’s co-deputy PM Matteo Salvini said this week that French people "will be able to free themselves from a terrible president" in May after European parliamentary elections take place.

Chalencon and Levavasseur are themselves planning to run in those elections, according to French media reports.</s>PARIS (AP) - France is recalling its ambassador to Italy amid mounting tensions after Italy's deputy prime minister met with French yellow vest protesters and a string of critical Italian comments toward French President Emmanuel Macron's government.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll said in a statement Thursday that the ambassador is being brought back for "consultations," and urged Italy to return to friendly relations worthy of "our common destiny."

France's Foreign Ministry called that an "unacceptable" interference in French democracy, and unprecedented since the two neighbors joined together after World War II to help create the European Union.

"The campaign for the European elections cannot justify the lack of respect for each people or for their democracy," von der Muhll said.

Italy's Luigi Di Maio met this week with supporters of a yellow vest group seeking to run in the European Parliament elections in May. Di Maio has said his populist movement is ready to help France's anti-government protesters, and has accused France of fueling Europe's migrant crisis.

Di Maio's meeting with yellow vest activists came after Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini called Macron "a terrible president" in January. He said he hoped French voters would send Macron a message during the European elections by showing their support for far-right leader Marine Le Pen, with whom Salvini is allied in European politics.

Di Maio had already sparked annoyance in January when he accused France of leading colonial-style policies in Africa, prompting the French Foreign Ministry to summon the Italian ambassador. And the Italian government last fall accused France of dumping underage migrants over the border without authorization.

"For several months, France has been the subject of repeated accusations, unfounded attacks and outrageous declarations," von der Muhll said. "This is unprecedented since the end of (World War II). To have disagreements is one thing, to exploit the relationship for electoral purposes is another."

After meeting with members of the Citizens' Initiative Rally group of yellow vests on Tuesday, Di Maio boasted on Twitter that "the wind of change has crossed the Alps."</s>The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

PARIS (AP) — France is recalling its ambassador to Italy amid mounting tensions after Italy’s deputy prime minister met with French yellow vest protesters and a string of critical Italian comments toward French President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll said in a statement Thursday that the ambassador is being brought back for “consultations,” and urged Italy to return to friendly relations worthy of “our common destiny.”

Italy’s Luigi Di Maio met this week with supporters of a yellow vest group seeking to run in the European Parliament elections in May. Di Maio has said his populist movement is ready to help France’s anti-government protesters, and has accused France of fueling Europe’s migrant crisis.

France’s Foreign Ministry called that an “unacceptable” interference in French democracy, and unprecedented since the two neighbors joined together after World War II to help create the European Union.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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France withdraws its ambassador to Italy, for the first time since the Second World War, amid an ongoing verbal row and Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio’s decision to meet with members of the French yellow vest movement.