Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of engaging in aggressive rhetoric as a strategy to bolster his declining domestic popularity. Salvini suggested that 80% of the French population cannot wait for Macron to leave office, implying that the president’s recent statements on sending troops to Ukraine and his critiques of world leaders are tactics designed to increase his approval ratings. The deputy PM made these remarks after Macron summoned Italian Ambassador Emanuela D’Alessandro over Salvini’s previous comments about the French president, highlighting the ongoing diplomatic tension between the two countries.