MILAN: One of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s closest aides warned France against escalating an ongoing spat on migration by limiting Rome’s access to the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery funds.

“I hope they are not referring to (the EU post-pandemic) funds,” as any such action would be “very serious”, Giovanbattista Fazzolari, Undersecretary for the implementation of the government programme, told Il Corriere della Sera daily on Friday.

With around 200 billion euros ($204.28 billion), Italy is the biggest beneficiary among the EU 27 nations of the so-called European Recovery And Resilience Fund (PNRR).

Italy’s far-right PM Meloni meets EU chiefs

Italy demands “only respect”, he added, after French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Thursday that the migration row between Rome and Paris would have “extremely strong consequences for the bilateral relationship”.

France on Thursday agreed to welcome the charity-run Ocean Viking rescue boat into one of its ports, after Italy refused to let it dock on its territory with more than 200 migrants on board. Darmanin called Italy’s conduct “reprehensible” and “selfish.”