Paris summons Italian ambassador after Matteo Salvini's "unacceptable" comments

France has summoned Italy's ambassador to France, Emanuela D'Alessandro, "following unacceptable remarks" made by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini against President Emmanuel Macron for his support for sending troops to Ukraine.

"The ambassador was reminded that these remarks went against the climate of trust and the historical relationship between our two countries, but also against recent bilateral developments, which have highlighted strong convergences between the two countries, particularly with regard to unwavering support for Ukraine," a diplomatic source told AFP, confirming information from France Inter radio.

For several days, the Italian far-right leader has been criticizing the French president on social media and during his travels over his plan to deploy an "Army of Volunteers" in Ukraine to guarantee the future ceasefire between kyiv and Moscow.

Asked during a trip to Milan about the possible deployment of Italian soldiers to this security force, as the United Kingdom is also considering doing, the transport minister suggested that Emmanuel Macron "go there himself." "Macron should get on the train. Put on his helmet, his jacket, his rifle, and go to Ukraine," Salvini chided. According to La Stampa , the Élysée Palace was waiting for a reaction from its Italian ally, for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni or Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to distance themselves from the provocative Salvini, and was reportedly disappointed to see nothing come of it.

The leader of the anti-migrant Lega party had already called the French president a "madman" in March, accusing him of pushing Europe into war with Russia. And in June 2024, he released a photomontage of the French president in combat gear and armed with an assault rifle.

This is not the first time that the populist, close to Marine Le Pen, has attacked Emmanuel Macron. In 2019, tensions were so high that Paris recalled its ambassador to Italy , Christian Masset. At the time, Matteo Salvini, the Interior Minister who was clashing with France over the issue of welcoming migrants, had repeatedly expressed his support for the "Gilet Gialli," while Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio met with Yellow Vests and called on them "not to weaken" in the face of the executive.