Italy’s deputy PM launches direct attack on Macron, rejects European army under French command

Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of the League, has launched a sharp criticism of French President Emmanuel Macron, calling him a “madman” over recent comments about a potential European army under his leadership.

Speaking in Milan, Salvini made it clear that Italy rejects any possibility of a European military force being commanded by Macron, particularly in light of his remarks regarding nuclear war, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“We reject the possibility of a European army under the command of a madman like Macron, who talks about nuclear war,” Salvini said.

Regarding Italy’s stance on the war in Ukraine, Salvini emphasized that the government’s position is firm, stating that there is "absolutely no possibility of sending our troops" to the conflict. He further criticized the notion of reallocating funds from Italy’s Cohesion Fund to purchase weapons instead of developing the country’s regions.

“As far as the war in Ukraine is concerned, the line of our government is solid. There is absolutely no possibility of sending our troops. There is no way we can use the Cohesion Fund funds to buy arms instead of developing the various regions of our country,” Salvini added.

Salvini also announced plans to hold a national demonstration on March 8, saying, “Tomorrow, in more than a thousand squares of our country, we will set up stands where citizens who want the war to end can come.” He expressed his pride in the initiative, criticizing efforts to establish a common European debt to fund arms purchases. "It seems to me outrageous,” Salvini concluded.

While Salvini's remarks were firmly against Macron's proposed European military ambitions, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed support for Ukraine but shares Salvini’s view that sending European soldiers to the conflict is not a viable solution.

Macron's comments on March 5, in which he advocated for greater European defence capabilities, including the potential use of nuclear weapons to protect the EU, have drawn significant attention. He emphasized the need for the EU to strengthen its military infrastructure “in the name of peace itself.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry reacted to Macron's speech on March 6, accusing the French president of engaging in “nuclear blackmail.” The ministry stated that Russia would consider these remarks when planning its own defence strategies. It also noted that Paris has expressed ambitions to become the nuclear "patron" of Europe, proposing its “nuclear umbrella” as an alternative to the US model.

By Vafa Guliyeva