For several ministers, Gérald Darmanin did not disrespect Italy by criticizing the far-right policy of his government.
It is now a question of extinguishing the fire caused by Gérald Darmanin. The French government tried, Friday, May 5, to calm the game with Italy, without denying the differences, after the crisis triggered the day before by the criticisms of the Minister of the Interior against the immigration policy of the Prime Minister of extreme right Giorgia Meloni. “There was no desire from the Minister of the Interior to ostracize Italy in any way whatsoever and I reassure the Italians who are watching us”government spokesman Olivier Véran explained on CNews on Friday, wishing “don’t make a political story out of it”.
The day before, Gérald Darmanin had declared that Giorgia Meloni was “unable to resolve the migration issues on which she was elected”. Immediately, the head of Italian diplomacy, Antonio Tajani, who was expected Thursday evening in Paris for a meeting with his counterpart Catherine Colonna, had canceled his visit, judging such remarks “unacceptable”. “We continue to work with the Italians”assured Olivier Véran.
Rome wants an apology
“I think that very quickly this incident will be behind us, because France needs Italy too much and Italy needs France too much on all subjects, and particularly on the question of immigration”, added the Minister of Public Accounts, Gabriel Attal, on RMC, Friday. More nuanced, the Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune, gave “political reason” to Gérald Darmanin who recalled “what is the extreme right everywhere, in Italy as elsewhere, which makes many promises and solves few problems”.
If the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, also tried to calm the situation on Thursday, recalling the “mutual respect” between the two countries, Rome demanded an apology from Gérald Darmanin on Friday. “It’s a gratuitous and vulgar insult addressed to a friendly, allied country”, And “When someone gratuitously offends another person, the minimum is for them to apologize”said Antonio Tajani in an interview with the Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera.