France recalls Italy envoy as ties go sour

PARIS: France took the exceptional step of recalling its envoy to Rome on Thursday to protest against a “provocation” from the Italian government, laying bare the tensions between the two historic allies.

France’s foreign ministry recalled its ambassador to Rome for consultations over a series of comments from Italy’s two deputy prime ministers, Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini.

“For several months, France has been the subject of repeated accusations, unfounded attacks and outlandish claims,” the ministry said in a statement, calling them “unprecedented” since the end of World War 2.

Di Maio and Salvini, who formed a populist coalition government together last year, have repeatedly criticised Emmanuel Macron, who has in turn targeted their Eurosceptic movements ahead of high-stakes European Parliament elections in May.

The latest spat erupted on Tuesday after Di Maio, head of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, revealed that he had met with “yellow vest” anti-government protesters outside Paris.

He said the aim was to prepare a common front for European Parliament elections in May, while boasting on Twitter that “the wind of change has crossed the Alps”.

“The most recent interferences constitute an additional and unacceptable provocation,” the foreign ministry said.

The remarkable war of words between two founding members of the EU began shortly after the Five Star Movement and Salvini’s far-right League parties won Italian elections and formed a coalition government last June.