Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosted her Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán, in Rome. The visit is part of Orbán’s Europe tour, which has already taken him to Berlin and will soon take him to Paris.

The tour serves as an opportunity for Orbán to meet with leaders of various EU member states and brief them on Hungary’s upcoming presidency programme, as Hungary is set to take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council.

Speaking about the presidency programme, Giorgia Meloni said at the very end of the meeting that she is glad some of the issues included in the programme are the ones that the two countries care most about, including tackling illegal migration, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, and addressing declining birth rates across Europe.

She also mentioned other issues, including Ukraine, on which the two countries hold differing views. The timing of the meeting is significant as it took place just before this week’s EU summit, which will be crucial for the debate over top EU jobs.

At the meeting, Orbán emphasised that his party would not be joining the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) political group.

Meloni, besides being Italy’s Prime Minister, is also the leader of the ECR political group. Her party remains the leading party in Italy following the EU elections, and it is expected to seek a top commission post for Italy.