Silvio Berlusconi has described Emmanuel Macron as a "good looking lad with a with a good looking mom," in an apparent dig at the age gap between the newly elected French president and his wife Brigitte Trogneux.

The former Italian prime minister, who developed a reputation for diplomatic blunders during his years in power, joked on Monday that Mr Macron was a "39-year-old lad, with good work experience under him and most of all with a good looking mom who has carried him under her arm when he was still a child".

Mr Berlusconi did not mention Ms Trogneux's name.