France and Italy mend fences over vest row

FRANCE IS sending its ambassador back to Italy after the biggest diplomatic dispute between the two countries since the Second World War.

France’s European affairs minister Nathalie Loiseau said on RTL radio that Christian Masset will return to Rome on Friday.

Ms Loiseau said Italian President Sergio Mattarella called French President Emmanuel Macron and they discussed “how important the friendship between France and Italy is, how much the countries need each other”.

France recalled Mr Masset last week to protest against perceived Italian meddling in French domestic politics, after Italian deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio met French yellow vest activists seeking to run for the European Parliament.

In response to France’s decision, Mr Di Maio said: “I’m happy the French ambassador is coming back to Italy. I’ll ask him for a meeting. In the meanwhile, welcome back.”

Mr Di Maio heads the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, the senior party in the Italian coalition government.

He has been courting support from fellow populists elsewhere in the European Union with the aim of creating a like-minded faction in the European Parliament after elections this spring.

Referring to the yellow vest protesters, he appeared to want to tamp down speculation that the 5-Stars were making alliances with violent elements in the French movement.