French minister must apologize for insulting 'all Italians', Rome demands

Gerald Darmanin, French Interior Minister, has come under fire for his comments. Photo: Abaca

The French government must apologize for the insult and #39;all Italians', Rome demanded amid a scandal over migrants.

This came after French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told RMC radio that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni «couldn't solve the migration issues for which she was elected.» and accused her of «lying». to voters that she could end the crisis over the growing number of migrants arriving by boat.

Italian's foreign minister canceled a trip to Paris on Thursday over what he called «unacceptable.» ; remarks.

In a TV interview, Antonio Tajani said that Mr. Darmanin's remarks were «a stab in the back»; and he was waiting for him to «apologize to the prime minister, the government and Italy.»Antonio Tajani, Italy's foreign minister Photo: Gregorio Borgia/AP

The French government sought to downplay the scandal, saying that Paris had no intention of ostracizing; her EU partner.

"The Minister of the Interior had no desire to ostracize Italy at all" This was announced on Friday to Cnews TV channel by the official representative of the French government, Olivier Veran. "We continue to work with Italians"

“We have discussions with the Italians – they love politics – but they want to do things their way and want others to let them,” he added.

"And that’s good, because we are not going to do otherwise."

The governments of France and Italy have repeatedly clashed in recent years over the management of their common land border and the admission of humanitarian ships with migrants rescued while trying to cross the Mediterranean.

Clement Bon, France's transport minister, a close ally of Macron and a former European minister, was less conciliatory than Véran in a separate interview on Friday.

He highlighted the political divisions between Meloni's right-wing government and Macron's pro-European centrist cabinet. .

"There is no solution to the problem of migration that does not include European cooperation" Bon told radio Europe 1.

"And you can see that every time there is an attempt to go it alone, in whatever country it is, it doesn't work' No. 34; he added.