Today's WorldView: France and Italy's feud is a sign of battles to come
Today's Worldview - Washington Post email:
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In an extraordinary sign of the growing tensions in Europe, the French government recalled its ambassador to Italy on Thursday. The move marked a startling deterioration of relations between the centrist government of French President Emmanuel Macron and the ruling populist coalition in Rome.
In recent months, Italy’s two deputy prime ministers — Luigi Di Maio of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and far-right leader Matteo Salvini — have stepped up their criticism of Macron and expressed support for France’s anti-government “yellow vest” protesters. The final provocation appeared to be a meeting this week between Di Maio and leading figures among the yellow vests, who intend to field candidates in Europe’s parliamentary elections in May. The “wind of change has crossed the Alps,” Di Maio tweeted.
French officials were aghast that a senior Italian government official broke protocol this way, fraternizing with the opposition without even giving notice to his counterparts in Paris.
“France has been, for several months, the object of repeated accusations, unfounded attacks and outrageous declarations that everyone knows and can recognize,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “This is unprecedented since the end of the war.”
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