A slain right-wing activist in Lyon brought France and Italy head-on, with a war of words erupting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
23-year-old Quentin Deranque died from head injuries after being attacked by at least six people on the sidelines of a demonstration against a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party in the southeastern city of Lyon last week.
The death has brought France on edge, with the government blaming the “radical left” for the killing.
Seven people, including Jacques-Elie Favrot, an assistant to Raphael Arnault, a member of parliament from LFI, will face murder charges in the case, AFP quoted a prosecutor as saying on Thursday. They were among 11 arrested earlier in the week.
The incident also brought condemnation from many countries, including the United States.
But it seems none stung Macron more than Meloni’s reaction to it. It has since turned into a war of words between Paris and Rome, even as France gears up for a massive rally for the slain activist.
What is the row between Macron and Meloni over a slain right-wing activist?
The row began when Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacted to the killing of Quentin Deranque, allegedly by far-left activists. Meloni, a conservative, said on social media on Wednesday that the killing “by groups linked to left-wing extremism … is a wound for all of Europe.”
Meloni’s words triggered an angry response from French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, who told 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 ones to comment on what’s happening in other countries. Let everyone stay at home, and the sheep will be well looked after.”
Asked if his remarks referred to Meloni, Macron replied: “You got that right.”
In response to Macron’s criticism of Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister’s office issued a statement expressing astonishment at the comments, saying Meloni had “expressed her deep sorrow and dismay at the tragic killing of young Quentin Deranque”.
It is not the first time that Macron, a pro-Europe centrist, and Meloni, one of the US President Donald Trump‘s closest European allies, have engaged in a war of words. The duo has sparred in the past over issues ranging from the conflict in Ukraine to trade and European policy.
In light of the French presidential polls of 2027
The killing of Quentin Deranque during the Lyon clashes has caused uproar in France, damaging the LFI and allowing the far-right National Rally to depict itself as a victim of deadly extremist violence.
This comes as France is gearing up for Presidential polls in 2027. While Emmanuel Macron is ineligible to contest the polls due to the French constitution limiting Presidents to two consecutive terms, his party, Renaissance, and presidential hopeful, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, have everything to lose if he loses popularity.
Macron appealed on Saturday for cooler heads to prevail ahead of a rally for Deranque, while also saying that his government would hold a meeting to discuss “violent action groups” in the wake of the fatal beating.
The rally is expected to attract 2,000 to 3,000 people and is likely to see counter-protesters from the hard left.
Speaking at a farming trade fair in Paris, Macron urged “everyone to remain” calm ahead of the rally for Deranque in Lyon, which is set to go ahead under high security later on Saturday despite Lyon’s left-wing green mayor asking the state to ban it.
“In the Republic, no violence is legitimate. “There is no place for militias, no matter where they come from,” said Macron.
