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Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party (FdI) is the clear winner of the Italian elections held on Sunday. Her Hungarian allies were quick to react and offer their support.
According to the preliminary results available on Monday morning, the center-right coalition received 44,11 percent of the votes, of which FdI got 26,22 percent, the center-left received 26,13 percent, the Five Stars Movement (M5S) 15,39 percent, Action (Azione) and Italy Alive (IV) together 7,78 percent.
Comparisons of Giorgia Meloni to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the criticism of his policies has been a daily topic in the Italian press during the campaign, with left-wing and liberal politicians accusing Meloni of pursuing similar policies. A recent amendment of the law about abortion in Hungary was also a central topic.
Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party have developed a strong cooperation with Lega and FdI. The Hungarian Prime Minister had several meetings with Meloni and Lega-President Matteo Salvini, with the latter even forming an alliance against illegal migration during Salvini’s time as Minister of Interior. Orbán also held a speech at a major FdI rally in Rome.
Relations between the third center-right party, Forza Italia, and Fidesz have been traditionally good; until last year they were members of the same party family, the European People’s Party. During the campaign, however, Forza Italia leader and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi did not bring up the Hungarian Prime Minister as a desirable model to follow, unlike his allies Salvini and Meloni.
Since the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, the Hungarian and Italian partners have exchanged multiple messages and letters, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s chief of press told Hungarian news agency MTI. Viktor Orbán wrote to Giorgia Meloni that the success of the Fratelli d’Italia party is a victory of the values which “constitute the very basis of our cooperation and friendship”. According to Havasi, the Prime Minister also made reference to the war in Ukraine: in his view, during such a challenging period, predictable partnerships are especially gaining in significance. “I look forward to our future cooperation in the interest of preserving the peace of our countries and Europe, restarting the European economy and alleviating the energy crisis,” Viktor Orbán wrote to Meloni.
“More than well-deserved victory. Congratulations!,” the Prime Minister wrote on Facebook.
Balázs Orbán, the Prime Minister’s Political Director, congratulated all three members of the center-right coalition in a tweet.
Congratulations @GiorgiaMeloni, @matteosalvinimi, @berlusconi on the elections today! In these difficult times, we need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.
Long live the Hungarian-Italian friendship! pic.twitter.com/4PN2ZDEJoZ
— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) September 25, 2022
“The right-wing won in Italy!,” Fidesz group leader Máté Kocsis wrote on Facebook.
Fidesz Communications Director István Hollik congratulated Giorgia Meloni’s alliance on Facebook, stressing that the election was of “key importance.”
According to Fidesz MEP Balázs Hidvéghi, Italian voters “sent a clear message that they want to preserve the traditional family and Europe’s Christian culture.”
“Congratulations and good luck to our Italian friends in governance! Our goals are common: peace and support for families, protection of our borders,” Fidesz Vice-President Szilárd Németh wrote on Facebook.
Featured photo via Twitter/Orbán Balázs