Italian Foreign Minister Enzo
Moavero has said that Italy needs to "intensify institutional
contacts and manage political meetings" to patch things up with
France after Paris recalled its ambassador to Rome, Christian
Masset, for consultations last week.
The diplomatic crisis was set off by Deputy Premier and
5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio's meeting last
Tuesday in Paris with members of the Yellow Vests protest
movement.
"Luigi Di Maio said he did it in his role as a leader of a
political group," Moavero said in an interview published Monday
by Italian daily La Repubblica.
"The fact that he is also a member of the government has
probably created a short circuit".
Moavero said the situation ahead of May's European elections
is "showing for the first time direct conflicts between the two
countries' politicians," he said.
Moavero said politicians need to "immediately clarify" when
they are acting on behalf of their own political party and not
as a member of the government.
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