The Italian government also denied reports that Italy pushed to withdraw language on LGBTQ+ rights from the conclusions of the summit, which was also attended by Pope Francis.
The French president caused dismay when he called a snap election in the wake of a stunning defeat in Sunday’s European election. The far-right National Rally finished first in the European Parliament election in France, with 31.4 percent of the vote — more than double the 14.6 percent received by Macron’s party.
On the contrary, the European Union election was a success for the Italian prime minister, whose Brothers of Italy party came in first with more than 28 percent of votes.
French people will vote in a two-round parliamentary election on June 30 and July 7.
Tensions between Macron and Meloni are nothing new. The two have clashed on topics ranging from managing migration flows to Meloni’s exclusion from Franco-German initiatives on Ukraine. They have also, however, worked together at times.
They clashed back in February, when Macron skipped a G7 video conference organized by Meloni on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, instead attending France’s biggest agricultural show amid farmers’ protests.
Meloni’s positions on fundamental rights has been a source of Franco-Italian tensions since she came into power, when French officials said they would monitor closely whether fundamental values and the rule of law are respected in Italy.
Meloni has never publicly questioned the right to abortion in Italy, although some of her allies have pushed for measures to discourage women to undergo abortions.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
