Macron tells Meloni to ‘stay in lane’ over remarks on far-right activist’s death in France

South China Morning Post · Feb 19, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on Giorgia Meloni to stop “commenting on what is happening in other people’s countries”, after the Italian prime minister expressed shock at the fatal beating of a far-right activist in France.Quentin Deranque, 23, died from head injuries after being attacked by at least six people last week on the sidelines of a far-right protest at a university in the city of Lyon. Most of the 11 suspects detained are from far-left movements, according to a source close to the investigation.The killing has fuelled political tensions in France ahead of municipal elections in March and the 2027 presidential race, in which the far-right National Rally party is seen as having its best chance yet at winning the top job.On Wednesday, Meloni said the killing of Deranque was “a wound for all of Europe”.“Let everyone stay in their own lane,” Macron shot back in New Delhi, on the sidelines of an official visit to India.Macron also said there was no place in France “for movements that adopt and legitimise violence”.“Nothing can justify violent action – neither on one side nor the other, and not even in a head-to-head confrontation that is deadly for the republic,” he said.