French politician Jean-Luc Melenchon had harsh words for German chancellor Angela Merkel after the German leader said France and Italy had not done enough to trim their budgets, and called for both countries to enact additional deficit-cutting measures, reports Deutsche Welle.
"The [EU] Commission has made clear that what has been put on the table so far is insufficient. I would agree with this," Merkel told German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag.
"Shut your trap, Ms. Merkel! France is Free." Melenchon tweeted in German, adding in French that Merkel should concern herself instead with the poor in her country and the ruined infrastructure in Germany.
The 63-year-old leftist politician was a candidate for the French presidency in 2012, and has been a sharp critic of Merkel, calling her policies "narrow-minded and very dogmatic."
Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said regarding Melenchon's comments that while he respected French politicians' freedom of speech, there could have been a "friendlier formulation," of the comments.
Italy also reacted angrily to the German chancellor's remarks.
"Maybe Chancellor Merkel should focus on Germany's domestic demand, on its lack of investments, or on its balance-of-payments imbalances," said Italian undersecretary for EU affairs Sandro Gozi. "It would be an important contribution that Europe has been waiting on Berlin to make for a long time and which so far has not happened."
German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble attempted Monday to strike a conciliatory tone toward France and Italy.