A war of words broke out between French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the killing of a far-right activist in France, sparking fresh tensions between Rome and Paris. Macron sharply rebuked Meloni’s remarks linking the victim’s death to left-wing extremism, telling her to “stay at home” and stop commenting on other countries’ internal affairs.
The diplomatic spat erupted on Thursday after Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old Frenchman who died on February 14 from head injuries sustained during violent clashes outside a university in Lyon. Deranque was beaten and kicked by masked attackers during the unrest two days earlier. Seven people, including an aide to a member of parliament from the far-left France Unbowed (LFI), are set to face murder charges, a prosecutor said. They were among 11 people arrested earlier this week.
Meloni wrote on social media on Thursday that Deranque’s killing by “groups linked to left-wing extremism” was “a wound for all of Europe” and warned of what she described as a growing climate of ideological hatred across several countries.
Her remarks drew a swift and angry response from Macron, who was speaking to reporters during a visit to India. “I’m always struck by how people who are nationalists, who don’t want to be bothered in their own country, are always the first to comment on what’s happening in other countries,” he said.
Asked whether he was referring to Meloni, Macron replied, “You got that right,” adding pointedly, “Let everyone stay at home and the sheep will be well looked after.”
Responding to Macron’s criticism, Meloni’s office said it was “astonished” by his remarks, stressing that the Italian leader had merely expressed sorrow and condolences over the killing and had not sought to interfere in French domestic affairs.
Deranque’s killing has sparked outrage in France, weakening the LFI and allowing the far-right National Rally to portray itself as a victim of extremist violence.
Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran said Jacques-Elie Favrot, an assistant to LFI lawmaker Raphael Arnault, faces charges of complicity through instigation and has been placed in pre-trial detention. Favrot and the other suspects deny the allegations.
His lawyer said Favrot admitted to committing violence and being present at the scene but denied delivering the blows that caused Deranque’s death.
Macron and Meloni have clashed before on issues ranging from Ukraine and trade to broader European policy, but the latest exchange underscores how Deranque’s death has spilled beyond France’s borders, inflaming political fault lines across Europe.
(with inputs from Reuters)
