Meloni Hits Back At Macron In Spat Over Killing Of French Far-right Activist

PARIS — A bitter clash erupted Thursday between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron after the killing of a far-right activist in Lyon last weekend.

Meloni’s entourage fired back at Macron after the French president had earlier slammed the Italian leader for saying that the killing of 23-year-old Quentin Deranque was “a wound for the whole of Europe,”

Macron, speaking during a trip to India, suggested that Meloni was unduly interfering with France’s internal affairs.

The two leaders have fought on topics spanning migration to abortion during a terminally uneasy relationship, but are set to have a moment of reconciliation in April during a Franco-Italian summit in Toulouse.

Officials close to the Italian prime minister said Macron’s comments were met “with astonishment” and insisted that Meloni’s statement was meant to “show solidarity with the French people affected by this terrible event and that in no way interfere in France’s internal affairs.”

Earlier in the day, Macron said he was “struck by the fact that people who are nationalists, who don’t want to be bothered at home, are always the first to comment on what is happening in other countries.”

“If everyone just minded their own business, things would be just fine,” Macron said.

The far-right activist died after receiving blows to the head during a fight outside a conference featuring hard-left France Unbowed MEP Rima Hassan at a university in Lyon, France’s third-largest city.

Macron said the country’s political extremes must “put their houses in order” after the killing. “There is no space in France for movements that adopt or legitimize violence,” Macron told reporters during a trip to India.

Lyon’s Mayor Grégory Doucet on Thursday called on authorities to ban a march in support of the dead activist that was arranged for Saturday.