‘Stay in own lane’: Macron, Meloni spar over killing of far-right French activist
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Stay in own lane’: Macron, Meloni spar over killing of far-right French activist")
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron Photograph: (AFP)
Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni clashed after a far-right activist was killed in Lyon. Macron told Meloni to “stay in her lane,” while she denied interference and called the killing a “wound for Europe.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday (Feb 20) clashed over rising tensions following the killing of a far-right activist, Quentin Deranque, in Lyon last weekend. The 23-year-old died from head injuries after being brutally attacked during clashes between left and right-wing protestors at the Lyon Institute of Political Studies on February 12.
Following Meloni’s remarks on the incident, Macron slammed the Italian leader, saying she should “stay in own lane” and not comment on other countries.
“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 ones to comment on what’s happening in other countries,” the French president told reporters in New Delhi during his visit to India. “If everyone just minded their own business, things would be just fine. Let everyone stay in their own lane.”
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Meloni slams Macron’s remarks
Responding to Macron’s criticism, Meloni said that she was “very surprised” and “was not expecting it”.
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“Frankly, I’ve been very surprised by this declaration from Macron. I was not expecting it. My reflection is not about France but about the risks of polarisation,” Meloni told SkyTG24 on Thursday. “I am sorry Macron perceived it as interference. Interference is something else, for instance, when a leader is elected by his citizens, and a foreign country says we will monitor on the rule of law. That’s interference,” she added, referring to when the French government said that it would monitor the rule of law in Italy following Meloni’s win in the election.
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What did Meloni say on killing of activist?
Macron’s remarks come after Meloni on Wednesday (Feb 18) called the killing of Deranque “a wound for the whole of Europe.” She added that the incident “shocks and deeply saddens us”.
“The death of a boy just over 20 years old, attacked by groups linked to left-wing extremism and overwhelmed by a climate of ideological hatred that is sweeping across several nations, is a wound for all of Europe,” Meloni had said.
Meanwhile, French authorities have detained 11 suspects, including eight men and three women, as part of the investigation into the “intentional homicide”. AFP reported that most taken into custody are linked to far-left movements.
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