France recalls Italy ambassador after worst verbal onslaught since the war
French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the CCAF annual dinner in Paris, Feb 5, 2019.
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron’s government recalled its ambassador to Rome on Thursday in a move unprecedented since World War Two, saying it was fed up with “repeated, baseless” attacks by Italian political leaders against France.
The diplomatic blow, highly unusual among fellow members of the European Union, was announced by the foreign ministry in a statement.
Diplomatic sources said Paris acted after a series of verbal assaults from Italy’s deputy prime ministers, capped by Luigi di Maio, head of the anti-establishment 5-Star movement, meeting this week with France’s “yellow vest” protesters, who have mounted a months-long anti-Macron campaign.
“France has been, for several months, the target of repeated, baseless attacks and outrageous statements,” the foreign ministry said.
