Hungarian President Katalin Novák travelled to Italy to satisfy with authorities leaders, the place she spoke of the similarities between each nations of their actions towards irregular immigration, enlargement to the Western Balkans, and household values.
Novák visited Rome to satisfy the Italian authorities leaders and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “Our sturdy friendship displays the nice and cozy relations between Italy and Hungary”, Meloni commented on Twitter after the assembly at Palazzo Chigi.
Hungary’s first feminine and youngest president, Novák, tweeted that she spoke with Meloni about immigration, significantly the push and pull elements. “Each Hungary and Italy have a transparent view, unlawful immigration is a no-go!” she commented on social media.
Through the go to, the Hungarian president met the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. Among the many subjects mentioned was the fast integration of the Western Balkans into the EU “within the pursuits of Europe,” the diversification of vitality provides, and the safety of Christians as a “frequent duty”.
On the identical day, she additionally held talks with the president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa (Fdi/Ecr) and the president of the Chamber, Lorenzo Fontana (Lega/Id).
The assembly with La Russa centered on the demographic challenges and the options that the Hungarian authorities “have delivered and going to proceed to ship sooner or later”.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Novák defines herself as a Christian, conservative, proud to signify her homeland: “A powerful identification and the affirmation of nationwide pursuits are important. (…) As for nationwide pursuits and identities, Italy is an efficient instance of how a lot residents care about these values.”
“At this time, Italy has a patriotic authorities, with an order of Christian values that favours households. We’re pleased to work with leaders who get up for his or her nation’s pursuits and with whom we will converse in a voice of mutual respect,” she added.
Novák, a good friend of Meloni for a number of years, underlines that the pursuits and intentions of Hungarians and Italians go in the identical path when it comes to “resolute motion towards irregular immigration, enlargement to the Western Balkans, safety of Christians and defence of the values of household.”
A fragile friendship
In March 2021, Novák’s Fidesz social gathering left the centre-right European Folks’s Social gathering (EPP) political household following tensions associated to the poor rule of legislation in Hungary.
Significantly, the “liberal” faction within the EPP, particularly Nordic centre-right events, reacted strongly to the successive breaches of the rule of legislation by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. When the latter realised there was sufficient majority to kick his social gathering out of the EPP, he determined to go away voluntarily.
Meloni’s ruling Brothers of Italy social gathering belongs to the European Conservatives and Reformists Social gathering (ECR), however with a view to turn out to be prime minister, she partnered with Forza Italia, which is an EPP member, in addition to with Matteo Salvini’s extreme-right Lega.
Earlier than the elections, such a coalition between ECR and EPP was “blessed” by EPP chief Manfred Weber throughout a go to to Rome. The Bavarian politician significantly stated that Forza Italia ought to take part in such a authorities to make sure that Meloni will observe the EU path.
The “flirt” continued after the elections, as on 5 January, Weber met with Meloni in Rome, the place potential collaboration between the centre-right and ultra-right events on the EU stage was mentioned.
This triggered the response of the German right-wing events. “There isn’t a cause for additional cooperation with the opposite events of the Italian authorities within the European Parliament, so long as they cooperate with overtly anti-European forces such because the German AfD,” instructed EURACTIV Germany international coverage spokesperson of the CDU/CSU social gathering group within the Bundestag, Jürgen Hardt.
A high-ranking EPP official instructed EURACTIV.com that such a “rapprochement” with Meloni was “neither mentioned nor agreed inside the social gathering”. “There’s a clear majority towards such a cooperation,” the EPP official added.
(Federica Pascale | EURACTIV.it – Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com)
