(ANSA-AP) - BUDAPEST, MAY 2 - Hungary's prime minister hosted
hard-Line Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini on Thursday
and the two main opponents to immigration in Europe toured
razor-wire fences at the Hungarian border.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Salvini met first
at Hungary's southern border with Serbia, where Orban had the
fences built in 2015 to halt the flow of migrants and
asylum-seekers coming north through the Balkans. Orban is also
going to hold talks with Salvini at his new officEs in Buda
Castle in the Budapest, the capital. Salvini also met with his
Hungarian counterpart, Sandor Pinter, and discussed migration to
Europe.
"The positions of the Italian and Hungarian governments are
identical on this issue," Salvini said after meeting with
Pinter. "We expect the new Europe to protect its external
borders from May 27," referring to the day after the European
Parliamentary elections end. Salvini also said Italy agreed with
Hungary on the need for a reassessment of all trade and
financial agreements with any non-EU countries that fail to
cooperate in the repatriation of their citizens whose asylum
cases are rejected in Europe.
In an interview in the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Orban
said Salvini was "the most important person in Europe today" on
migration, which Orban called "the most important question
history has confronted us with." The membership of Orban's
right-wing Fidesz party in the Europe an People's Party, the
biggest group in the European Parliament , was suspended in
March over concerns about the rule of law in Hungary. Orban has
hinted at leaving the People's Party anyway after the European
Parliament elections, another reason for possibly tightening
ties with Salvini, head of the right-wing League Party. The
League is currently part of the right-wing Europe of Nations and
Freedom group in the EU parliament. Salvini has been work ing to
create a new euroskeptic alliance that hopes to become the
largest faction in that parliament. (ANSA-AP).
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