Macron Was Spoiling for a Fight With Italy’s Populists, Exposing the EU’s Fissures

Macron Was Spoiling for a Fight With Italy’s Populists, Exposing the EU’s Fissures
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini during a press conference in Rome, Italy, Jan. 14, 2019 (Photo by Riccardo Antimiani for ANSA via AP Images).

French President Emmanuel Macron called for reconciliation with Italy last week, after a heated diplomatic spat briefly led France to recall its ambassador from Rome for the first time since World War II. While the temperature has since come down a bit, the war of words reflects a larger battle being waged between members of the European Union over issues like immigration and fiscal policy, says Jan Zielonka, a professor of European politics at the University of Oxford and the author of “Counter-Revolution: Liberal Europe in Retreat.” In an interview with WPR, he discusses the EU-wide political implications of France and Italy’s falling-out.

World Politics Review: What is behind this ongoing dispute between France and Italy, and how did it get so bad?

Jan Zielonka: The story seems a bit melodramatic at first, but it is actually very serious. After all, Italy and France are both founding members of the European integration project. If they cannot get along, who can?

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review