FRANCE LATEST:  MACRON'S GOVERNMENT ANGERED BY ITALIAN LEADER'S CRITICISM

"France is one of those countries that by printing money for 14 African states prevents their economic development and contributes to the fact that refugees leave and then die in the sea or arrive on our coasts"

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement  1/21/2019

The right side of Italy's new outsider government through Deputy Prime Minister-Interior Minister Matteo Salvini of the League has been outspoken about stopping migrants reaching Italian shores and France shirking its responsibility to take migrants but now the "Left Hook" has been applied to the French government and its policies.

Luigi Di Maio, Deputy Prime Minister and Labor and Economy Minister, leads the more left-leaning outsider party in Italy, the Five Star Movement.

And over the weekend he hit hard at French policies in Africa that he says perpetuate colonialism and drive migrants into the ocean with many of them dying and or arriving in droves on Italian shores.

"The EU should sanction France and all countries like France that impoverish Africa and make these people leave, because Africans should be in Africa, not at the bottom of the Mediterranean"

The French government called the Italian ambassador to France to the foreign ministry on Monday.

A French diplomatic source called the statement:

"hostile and without cause"

Mr. Di Maio has also been outspoken in his support of the Yellow Vests movement in France, even more so than Mr. Salvini, who has given his nods of support.

Di Maio went so far as to invite Yellow Vests figure Eric Drouet to meet with him.


UPDATED:  745 AM EASTERN TUESDAY 1/22/2019-TODAY DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER-INTERIOR MINISTER MATTEO SALVINI OF THE LEAGUE AGREED WITH MR. DI MAIO IN A TELEVISION INTERVIEW SAYING:

"In Africa some take away wealth from the people and the continent and France is among them"

SALVINI SAW NO REASON FOR FRANCE TO BE UPSET ABOUT DI MAIO'S COMMENTS.

HE ALSO SAID:

"I don't take lessons on humanity and generosity from Macron"

Links below......


ANSA ITALIAN NEWS AGENCY


BBC NEWS STORY