Stay at home, don't interfere: Macron shreds Meloni over French activist's death
India Today
A dispute has intensified between French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following the killing of French activist Quentin Deranque, drawing attention to growing ideological divides within Europe.
A war of words broke out between French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the killing of a far-right activist in France, sparking fresh tensions between Rome and Paris. Macron sharply rebuked Meloni’s remarks linking the victim's death to left-wing extremism, telling her to “stay at home” and stop commenting on other countries’ internal affairs.
The diplomatic spat erupted after Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old Frenchman who died on February 14 from head injuries sustained during violent clashes outside a university in Lyon. Deranque was beaten and kicked by masked attackers during the unrest two days earlier. Seven people, including an aide to a member of parliament from the far-left France Unbowed (LFI), are set to face murder charges, a prosecutor said. They were among 11 people arrested earlier this week.
Meloni wrote on social media that Deranque’s killing by “groups linked to left-wing extremism” was “a wound for all of Europe” and warned of what she described as a growing climate of ideological hatred across several countries.
Her remarks drew a swift and angry response from Macron, who was speaking to reporters during a visit to India. “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 to comment on what’s happening in other countries,” he said.
Asked whether he was referring to Meloni, Macron replied, “You got that right,” adding pointedly, “Let everyone stay at home and the sheep will be well looked after.”
Responding to Macron’s criticism, Meloni’s office said it was “astonished” by his remarks, stressing that the Italian leader had merely expressed sorrow and condolences over the killing and had not sought to interfere in French domestic affairs.
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