Posted on 02/07/2019 8:42:16 AM PST by Olog-hai
French President Emmanuel Macron’s government recalled its ambassador to Rome on Thursday in a move unprecedented since World War Two, saying it was fed up with “repeated, baseless” attacks by Italian political leaders against France.
The diplomatic blow, highly unusual among fellow members of the European Union, was announced by the foreign ministry in a statement.
Diplomatic sources said Paris acted after a series of verbal assaults from Italy’s deputy prime ministers, capped by Luigi di Maio, head of the anti-establishment 5-Star movement, meeting this week with France’s “yellow vest” protesters, who have mounted a months-long anti-Macron campaign. […]
Relations between Italy and France, traditionally close allies, have grown increasingly tense since mid-2018, with Di Maio and his fellow deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, the leader of the far-right League party, firing pot-shots at Macron and France, mostly because of disagreements over migration policy. …
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Give it to ‘em good, Italy...
There hasn’t been a good Italian-French war since Napolean.
Somehow, I think the EU would still survive it.
Italy is playing good cop, and this stuff is just for public consumption. When all the trash talking stops being useful for Italy’s EU masters, the trash talking will cease. Or the EU will let a couple of Italian banks fail. And since the Italians have done absolutely nothing to get their own financial house in order, that threat will work nicely for the EU.
Talk is cheap.
What? I thought all dem boys was buddys?
Salvini has bigger cojones than macaroon. Go Italy!
This could quickly escalate to insults insinuating a genetic link to hamsters and the odor of elderberries.
Across the EU, the governments are not treating this lightly. They are expecting violent protests and possible attacks on heads of state.
I have quietly talked to some contacts in the EU. While this isn’t “Viva Revolution!” time, it is not just an American style protest. They are convinced it will go hot.
I don’t know enough to say, but this confirms that France is not viewing this as just another day at the zoo.
Are they insulted that Italy might be mocking France for allowing Moslem hordes?
I still love Berlusconi’s words.
Man, I wish we could hear that more often all over the world.
I may be able to use that one. :)
Yup, and as weak as the Italians can be, it’s worth noting what kind of people were best at French mil operations:
Italians (Sicilians) and women.
"Diplomatic blow?" Hardly.
More like a hissy fit from a failed regime that is slowly sinking beneath relevance in the EU as it's political and economic power is long eclipsed by the hun.
"Relations between Italy and France, traditionally close allies, have grown increasingly tense since mid-2018, with Di Maio and his fellow deputy prime minister,Matteo Salvini, the leader of the far-right League party, firing pot-shots at Macron and France, mostly because of disagreements over migration policy."
It's a fundamental difference in the respect between elected officials and the voters. Immigration policy is the most visible sign but it goes much deeper. But of course far left lapdog Reuters wouldn't mention that, right along with trying to characterize the Frogs removal of their diplomat as a "diplomatic blow". The simple fact is: they don't want to talk about the historically low ratings of Macron and the Italians encouraging their voters to stand up for their rights is most disconcerting to the regime.
Never trust reporting by AP, AFP or Reuters. On the international scene they are no better than the alphabets in the USA.
Conte, a lawyer with little political and no governmental experience, was nominated by the far-right League leader, Matteo Salvini, and the head of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), Luigi di Maio – both of whom are now his deputy prime ministers.
In his first speech to lawmakers since being sworn in, Conte reaffirmed several of the coalition’s key manifesto themes, including a tough line on migrants, rejection of economic austerity and conciliatory gestures towards Moscow.
The Italians are sick of France and Germany pushing their migrant policies on them and the rest of the EU.
France recalled its ambassador to Italy on Thursday amid rising tensions after Italy's deputy prime minister met with French anti-government protesters and Italian leaders made critical public comments about French President Emmanuel Macron's government.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio met with supporters of France's yellow vest protest movement running as candidates for the European Parliament. Di Maio has said the populist 5-Star Movement he leads was ready to help the French protesters and has accused France of fueling Europe's immigration difficulties.
That came after Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini called Macron "a terrible president" in January. He said he hoped French voters would send Macron a message during the European elections by showing their support for far-right leader Marine Le Pen, with whom Salvini is allied in European politics.
Von der Muhll called the incidents an "unacceptable" interference in French democracy, and said they were unprecedented since the two neighbors joined together after World War II to help create the European Union.
"The campaign for the European elections cannot justify the lack of respect for each people or for their democracy," she said.
In response to France's move, Salvini said he was open to meeting with Macron and the French government, but insisted that France must stop sending back migrants at the border and stop penalizing Italian workers in France.
Di Maio had already sparked annoyance in January when he accused France of leading colonial-style policies in Africa, prompting the French Foreign Ministry to summon the Italian ambassador. And the Italian government last fall accused France of dumping underage migrants over the border without authorization. After meeting with members of the Citizens' Initiative Rally group of yellow vests on Tuesday, Di Maio boasted on Twitter that "the wind of change has crossed the Alps."
Migrants on a dinghy in the Mediterranean after they tried to reach Europe from Libya. Last year Macron accused Italy of 'irresponsibility' for refusing to take a boat full of migrants in
Last year Macron accuses Salvini of 'cynicism and irresponsibility' for turning away a boat, the Aquarius (pictured), which was carrying hundreds of migrants
Record Italian emigration numbers and low births drive economic fears
https://www.ft.com/content/8ec92d9a-2aca-11e9-88a4-c32129756dd8
“The national statistics office said on Thursday the population shrank by 90,000 last year, the fourth consecutive annual decline, to an estimated 60.4m.
Live births dropped to 449,000, some 128,000 fewer than in 2008, the lowest this century, the statistics office said.
About 160,000 Italians moved abroad in 2018, the biggest number since 1981 and 3 per cent more than the previous year.
****
The number leaving is likely to be even higher than official statistics report, because Italians who register as emigrants lose healthcare and other rights.”
The Euro trash countries will be destroying each other on a regular basis.
Trump wins again for America.
Who would you bet on in this slug fest of GOP like countries? Loser vs loser, you make the call! My money is on the frogs because they have brunhilda Merkel in their corner backing them up.
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