Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Wednesday he hoped the French people would not choose President Emmanuel Macron’s party in European parliament elections later this year, drawing a sharp response from officials in Paris, Reuters reported.

Relations between Italy and France, generally close allies, have worsened since the far-right League and anti-establishment 5-Star Movement formed a coalition government in Italy last year and took aim at pro-European Union Macron’s En Marche (On the Move) party.

“Macron may no longer be our interlocutor (in the future),” Salvini said in an interview with Italian state-owned radio RAI. “His support is less than 20 percent. I hope the French people can shortly make different choices,” he said, referring to May’s European elections.

Salvini’s comment triggered an angry reaction from France’s foreign ministry.

“These unfounded statements should be read in the context of domestic Italian politics. They are unacceptable,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll said in a daily online briefing.

Italy’s ambassador had been reminded of the “boundaries” that should be observed for Franco-Italian relations to remain friendly and cooperative, the spokeswoman added.