Italy's ambassador to France was summoned Monday to the French Foreign Ministry after remarks by Italian Vice-President Luigi Di Maio accusing France of "impoverishing Africa" and aggravating the crisis migration, said a government source.
"Unacceptable and irrelevant" remarks for the French government. Nathalie Loiseau, Head of Cabinet of the Minister of European Affairs, summoned the Italian Ambassador (Teresa Castaldo) in the wake of the unacceptable and unimportant remarks made by Italian authorities yesterday, "it was said in the minister's office.
Luigi Di Maio hoped on Sunday that the European Union would take "sanctions" against countries that, starting with France, are according to him at the origin of the tragedy of the migrants in the Mediterranean by "sending them" from Africa. "If today people are leaving, it's because some European countries, France in the lead, have never stopped colonizing dozens of African countries," insisted Luigi Di Maio, political leader of Movement 5 Stars (M5S, antisystem) which governs with the League (far right) of Matteo Salvini.
According to Luigi Di Maio, who is also Minister of Economic Development, "there are dozens of African countries where France prints a currency, the franc of the colonies and with this currency it finances the French public debt". "If France did not have the African colonies, because that's the way to call them, it would be the 15th largest economy in the world, when it is among the first thanks to what it is doing. to do in Africa, "he argued.
Polemics are multiplying between France and Italy. The relations between Paris and Rome have been extremely tense since the coming to power of the far-right allied to the anti-system in Italy in June 2018. Luigi Di Maio and the Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini have, for example, brought a very demonstrative their support for "yellow vests". Matteo Salvini also accused the French president of governing "against his people" and pushed the nail up to wish his departure ("The faster he goes home, the better it is!", He said).
The Italian government is also demanding in Paris the extradition of 14 Italians wanted for terrorism since the "years of lead" and fugitive in France.