France has issued I strong condemnation of a meeting earlier in the week between Italy's deputy prime minister, Luigi Di Maio, and the leadership of the French 'yellow vest' protesters. In a statement on 6 February, a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry called the meeting a provocation that "is unacceptable between neighbouring countries and partners at the heart of the EU". Members of the yellow vest movement are entering politics, directly challenging the French government following weeks of street protests against what it sees as the unfair treatment of the rural working class.