The head of Italian diplomacy cancels his trip to Paris after Darmanin's remarks on Meloni

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni "is unable to solve the migration problems" of Italy, which is experiencing record arrivals via the Mediterranean, said Thursday (May 4th) the French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin. © Virginia Mayo, Andrew Medichini / AP / RFI editing

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Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancelled his trip scheduled for Thursday evening, May 4 in France, in reaction to the "unspeakable" remarks of the French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, about the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.

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Tensions on the Rome-Paris line. There will be no meeting between Catherine Colonna, the French foreign minister, and Antonio Tajani, her Italian counterpart, this Thursday evening in Paris. The head of Italian diplomacy was expected in the French capital. But he announced the cancellation of this trip in the afternoon.

At issue: the remarks made by Gérald Darmanin earlier. Questioned at the microphone of the radio RMC, the Minister of the Interior scratched the Italian Prime Minister. "Madame (Giorgia) Meloni, the far-right government chosen by the friends of Madame (Marine) Le Pen, is unable to solve the migration problems on which she was elected," the interior minister said at midday.

Stung to the quick, Antonio Tajani responded to these words on Twitter and announced that he would not make the planned trip in France. "I will not go to Paris (...). The insults against the government and Italy launched by Mr. Darmanin are unacceptable. This is not the spirit with which we should face common European challenges.

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Non andrò a Parigi per il previsto incontro con @MinColonna . Le offese al governo ed all'Italia pronunciate del ministro @GDarmanin sono inaccettabili. Non è questo lo spirito con il quale si dovrebbero affrontare sfide europee comuni.

— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) May 4, 2023

(

and with AFP)

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Read on on the same topics:

  • Italy
  • France
  • Giorgia Meloni
  • Gerald Darmanin
  • Diplomacy
  • Immigration