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.
