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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melon has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of election campaigning at the ongoing G7 summit in Puglia in view of the latter’s call for a parliamentary election in France that he initiated to counter the growing influence of the far right.

“There is no reason to cause controversy about issues that we have long agreed on,” Meloni said on the first day of the summit at the Puglia resort of Borgo Egnazia.

“And, I think it is profoundly wrong, in difficult times like these, to use a precious forum like the G7 to campaign,” the Italian premier added.

Meloni’s warm rapport with other leaders while welcoming them at the G7 Summit was apparent as she greeted them. However, noticeable tensions were seen when she welcomed Macron.

Meanwhile, Italy has demanded the removal of a reference to “safe and legal abortion” from the final statement of this week’s Group of Seven summit, news agency Reuters quoted diplomats present at the summit as saying.

Notably, the 2023 G7 communique released after the leaders’ summit in Japan called for “access to safe and legal abortion and post-abortion care”.

The clash between Meloni and Macron, known for their turbulent history, unfolds against the backdrop of rising apprehension over Macron’s recent impulsive move to call snap elections, which could potentially reverberate across the entire continent.