Emmanuel Macron has said Giorgia Meloni should "stay in her lane" after she mourned the death of a right-wing student who was beaten to death in France.
Quentin Deranque, 23. died from head injuries after he was beaten by a group of masked men in Lyon just days ago.
Murder charges are now being pursued against seven suspects, including one French parliamentary assistant who worked for the hard-left party France Unbowed (LFI) and one former intern.
Eleven suspects were detained in response to the attack, with many linked to hard-left movements including the "anti-fascist" group Young Guard.
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Ms Meloni said the killing was "a wound for all of Europe" and said "groups linked to left-wing extremism" were responsible for his death.
She too has faced hard-left turmoil in the last few days in her own country.
"Let everyone stay in their own lane," Mr Macron told reporters during a visit to India.
The French President sneered: "I'm always struck by how people who are nationalists, who don't want to be bothered in their own country, are always the first ones to comment on what's happening in other countries."
Emmanuel Macron made the remarks while on a visit to India
|REUTERS
He clarified the remarks were directed towards the Italian Prime Minister directly.
Ms Meloni's office voiced her astonishment at his response.
They said she had "expressed her deep condolences and dismay at the tragic killing of young Quentin Deranque and condemned the climate of ideological hatred that is sweeping through several European countries".
A source added: "These statements represent a sign of solidarity with the French people affected by this terrible event and do not in any way interfere in France’s internal affairs."
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Emmanuel Macron has said Giorgia Meloni should 'stay in her lane'
|GETTY
Marine Le Pen laid blame at 'groups linked to left-wing extremism' for Deranque's death
|GETTY
The two European leaders have previously clashed over abortion rights and migration, and are soon set to meet in Toulouse to strengthen their relationship.
Antonio Tajani, Italy's Foreign Minister, said the killing was "a serious matter that concerns us all".
He added "there hae been many Quentins in Italy" a reference to the chaotic Years of Lead in the late 1960s to the 1980s.
Armed groups from both the left and right carried out bombings and assassinations across Italy during the period.
Footage of the attack showed several masked people kicking and punching Quentin Deranque on the street
| TF1Mr Tajani said: "Condemning episodes like the one in Lyon also serves this purpose – to ensure that we do not return to a terrible past in Italy as well."
The killing has fuelled political tensions in France before municipal elections in March - as well as the 2027 presidential race, which Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) is set to win, despite her ban from running.
Raphael Arnault, the lawmaker who two of the suspects had worked for, said one of his aides had "stopped all parliamentary work".
Jordan Bardella, the leader of the RN and 2027's election frontrunner, called for Mr Arnault's resignation in response.
He said: "The left and the far-left have crossed an unacceptable red line in our democracy: respect for the opinions and physical integrity of their opponents."
Mr Macron had previously called for "calm, restraint and respect" in response to the killing.
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