French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly criticised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after she expressed solidarity regarding the killing of 23-year-old French right-wing activist Quentin Deranque.
His comments today highlighted growing sensitivities within European political discourse.
Speaking from New Delhi during an international summit, Macron delivered pointed remarks aimed at his Italian counterpart: “Let everyone stay at home and the sheep will be well looked after,” he said, before warning that foreign leaders should refrain from commenting on France’s internal politics.
“I am always struck to see nationalists, who do not want to be bothered at home, are always the first to comment on what is happening elsewhere,” he added.
Macron emphasised that he was “following the situation closely” and insisted that “in the Republic, no cause, no ideology can ever justify violence”.
He called on political actors to prevent “any mechanism of escalation” that could inflame tensions further.
Meloni had condemned Deranque’s death as “deeply shocking and saddening”, stressing that “no political idea, no ideological opposition can justify violence or turn confrontation into physical aggression”.
She framed her comment as a gesture of sympathy and a denunciation of ideological violence across Europe.
Deranque, a mathematics student and right-wing political activist from Lyon, was killed on February 14 in a violent attack by far-left activists. The incident occurred on the margins of a student event attended by far-left MEP Rima Hassan.
Video footage circulated in French media showed masked individuals attacking opponents with blunt objects and kicking a person lying on the ground — Deranque. He suffered severe head injuries and died two days later in hospital.
French authorities have opened a homicide investigation and at least 11 people have been arrested, some linked to radical left-wing networks. Several detainees reportedly have political connections, further intensifying the political fallout.
The killing is particularly sensitive for Meloni and the Italian Right.
Italy experienced intense political violence in the 1970s, when young activists from both Left and Right were assassinated by opposing factions. Right-wing victims from that period, often killed in circumstances similar to Deranque’s, are officially commemorated as martyrs. Meloni has repeatedly expressed her respect and solidarity for their memory.
Macron’s rebuke surprised officials in Rome. They noted that Meloni’s statement was intended as a gesture of sympathy for the victim’s family and the French public, not interference in domestic affairs.
The exchange underscores European Union leaders’ sensitivities regarding commentary on politically charged events in partner countries.
Macron’s remarks reflect his insistence on framing violent incidents as matters of national sovereignty, even when it risks friction with fellow European leaders.
