France recalls ambassador from Italy as diplomatic row escalates

France has recalled its ambassador from Italy as relations between the two countries hit a post-war low.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the French foreign office claimed the country had been the subject of “baseless attacks and outrageous statements” from the Italians.

The spark for the recall appears to have been a meeting between Italy’s deputy prime minister Luigo Di Maio, of the populist Five Star movement, and leaders of the gilets jaunes (yellow vest) protestors who have repeatedly taken to the streets of Paris in protest at French president Emmanuel Macron.

The French foreign office statement reads: “For several months, France has been the target of repeated, baseless attacks and outrageous statements."

It went on: “Having disagreements is one thing but manipulating the relationship for electoral aims is another.”

Di Maio had previously spoken in support of the gilets jaunes protestors, saying "a new Europe is being born of the 'yellow vests', of movements, of direct democracy."

Matteo Salvini, a fellow deputy prime minister in the Italian coalition government, described Macron as a "terrible president" last month.