The memory of the latest dispute between Paris and Rome was still fresh when, on Monday, September 1, Italians’ attention was drawn to a new controversy. In late August, French-Italian relations had already soured over harsh words from Italian Deputy Prime Minister and former pro-Russian figure Matteo Salvini about French President Emmanuel Macron’s supposed intentions in Ukraine. Now, comments from French Prime Minister François Bayrou, which had initially gone unnoticed in France, have reignited tensions, at least in Italy.
Bayrou claimed on Sunday that Italy is practicing « fiscal dumping, » fueling the « nomadism » of France’s wealthiest households. He made the remarks between questions during an interview with French media Franceinfo, LCI, BFM-TV and CNews. The journalists conducting the interview did not pick up on the comments, but less than two hours later, the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a sharply worded statement: « The completely unfounded remarks by the French prime minister are surprising. The Italian economy is attractive and is performing better than others thanks to the stability and credibility of our nation. »
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