Government: Italy, Hungary will confront the centralisation of the EU

Given that the Hungarian government has long-standing and good relations with all the parties that will make up the incoming Italian government, cooperation on issues like illegal migration and family policy will not be difficult, Balázs Orbán, the political director of the Prime Minister’s Office, said in Rome on Friday. Rome and Budapest are in agreement on the need to confront centralisation by Brussels, he added.

Last Sunday’s elections in Italy showed that Italians know best what kind of government their country needs, the official told MTI on the sidelines of the Italian Conservatism: Europe, Identity, Freedom conference. He said one area of cooperation between the Hungarian and Italian governments would be the fight against illegal migration. Italy is seeing a huge number of migrants arriving at its southern shores, he said, adding that Hungary’s southern border was also “under siege”.

He said the European Union had so far been unsuccessful in resolving illegal migration and Brussels was “continuing to attack every border protection measure that we think is needed to stop illegal migration throughout Europe”. The political director also suggested that the two governments could begin consultations on family policy over the coming months.

He said the impact of inflation caused by the sanctions policy and skyrocketing utility costs were visible on the streets of Rome as well.

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It is clear even in the western countries that consumers are forced to pay a “surcharge” because of the sanctions, yet “we once again had to be the first ones to ask the people what they think about this,” he said, referring to the Hungarian government’s upcoming “National Consultation” public survey on EU sanctions against Russia.

The three-day conservative conference comes after the election victory of the Italian right-wing coalition led by Giorgia Meloni. Other speakers on the event’s opening day included Fidesz MEP Balazs Hidveghi and Miklos Szantho, director of the Centre for Fundamental Rights.

Speaking to MTI, Hidveghi highlighted the importance of a nationally minded, patriotic right-wing alliance winning in one of the EU’s founding member states.

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“We share the same positions on a number of issues and have reason to hope that national identity, culture, border protection, guaranteeing the security of the people, support for the traditional family model and the strive for peace will all have a place in the new Italian political leadership,” he said.

Rome and Budapest are in agreement on the need to confront centralisation by Brussels so that it is not “bureaucrats who are accountable to no one” telling European member states what to do and think, he said.

Source: MTI