BRUSSELS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday it was not up to France, which overshot the EU-mandated budget deficit limit for a decade, to lecture Italy about its public accounts.

“On these issues, it’s not up to France to lecture others after ten years spent in the excessive deficit procedure,” Macron told reporters after an EU summit in Brussels.

“There should be no excess in how (rules) are applied but a constructive work between the commission and a member state. My wish is for Italy to succeed,” he added.

Macron also expressed regrets after French authorities drove two migrants across the border and dumped them in Italy last week, infuriating Rome.

“There are completely isolated incidents that I deeply regret,” Macron said. “Measures were taken so that these incidents don’t happen again.”